Solar & Storage Stability: How America Can Maintain Energy Security Through Severe Weather - CleanTechnica

The article highlights the critical role that solar power and battery storage play in enhancing energy security in the United States amid increasingly severe weather events. Extreme conditions such as heat waves, hurricanes, and winter storms are putting significant strain on the aging energy infrastructure, often leading to power outages when traditional systems fail. Distributed solar and storage systems have proven to be reliable alternatives, providing essential power during peak demand and emergencies. For instance, during a recent heat wave in New England, solar and battery storage supplied several gigawatts of electricity, saving households around $20 million and helping to prevent rolling blackouts. Similarly, Texas’s investments in solar have bolstered grid resilience during heat waves and winter storms. The article also emphasizes the resilience solar microgrids offer during hurricanes, citing examples like North Carolina’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene and Florida’s Babcock Ranch community, which has maintained power through multiple storms. Winter weather challenges, such as the 2021 Texas Freeze that caused massive outages and fatalities, have