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Soaking Up the Sun: Battery Investment, Renewable Energy, and Market Equilibrium

Author

Listed:
  • R. Andrew Butters
  • Jackson Dorsey
  • Gautam Gowrisankaran

Abstract

Renewable energy and battery storage are seen as complementary technologies that can together facilitate reductions in carbon emissions. We develop and estimate a framework to calculate the equilibrium effects of large-scale battery storage. Using data from California, we find that the first storage unit breaks even by 2024 without subsidies when the renewable energy share reaches 50%. Equilibrium effects are important: the first 5,000 MWh of storage capacity would reduce wholesale electricity prices by 5.6%, but an increase from 25,000 to 50,000 MWh would only reduce these prices by 2.6%. Large-scale batteries will reduce revenues to both dispatchable generators and renewable energy sources. The equilibrium effects lead battery adoption to be virtually non-existent until 2030, without a storage mandate or subsidy. A 30% capital cost subsidy—such as the one in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act—achieves 5,000 MWh of battery capacity by 2024, similar to the level required under California’s storage mandate.

Suggested Citation

  • R. Andrew Butters & Jackson Dorsey & Gautam Gowrisankaran, 2021. "Soaking Up the Sun: Battery Investment, Renewable Energy, and Market Equilibrium," NBER Working Papers 29133, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29133
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    Cited by:

    1. Sai Bravo & Carole Haritchabalet, 2023. "Prosumers: Grid Storage vs Small Fuel-Cell," Working Papers hal-04119625, HAL.
    2. Brown, David P. & Muehlenbachs, Lucija, 2023. "The Value of Electricity Reliability: Evidence from Battery Adoption," Working Papers 2023-5, University of Alberta, Department of Economics, revised 26 Jul 2024.
    3. Michele Fioretti & Junnan He & Jorge Tamayo, 2024. "Prices and Concentration: A U-Shape? Theory and Evidence from Renewables," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-04631762, HAL.
    4. Michele Fioretti & Junnan He & Jorge Tamayo, 2024. "Prices and Concentration: A U-Shape? Theory and Evidence from Renewables," Working Papers hal-04631762, HAL.
    5. Brown, David P. & Muehlenbachs, Lucija, 2023. "The Value of Electricity Reliability: Evidence from Battery Adoption," Working Papers 2023-5, University of Alberta, Department of Economics, revised 26 Jul 2024.
    6. Fabra, Natalia, 2023. "Reforming European electricity markets: Lessons from the energy crisis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Westphal, Igor, 2024. "The effects of reducing renewable power intermittency through portfolio diversification," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    8. Heid, Pascal & Remmy, Kevin & Reynaert, Mathias, 2024. "Equilibrium Effects in Complementary Markets: Electric Vehicle Adoption and Electricity Pricing," TSE Working Papers 24-1589, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    9. Lamp, Stefan & Samano, Mario, 2022. "Large-scale battery storage, short-term market outcomes, and arbitrage," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    10. Sai Bravo & Carole Haritchabalet, 2023. "Prosumers: Grid Storage vs Small Fuel-Cell," Working papers of Transitions Energétiques et Environnementales (TREE) hal-04119625, HAL.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation

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