Photo: City of Austin (via Teslarati)
Expanding Gigafactory Texas has already been a priority of Tesla’s, with multiple filings showing the automaker’s expansion plans — including one filing newly approved to let the company add a giant battery system to the production facility.
Tesla has been approved to build a new 53-acre energy storage system at its Giga Texas, according to a filing reported by Teslarati on Monday.
The news was initially reported following a permit application Tesla filed on March 25, which the City of Austin officially approved on August 9, as per @SawyerMerritt.
IKEA to Launch Solar Roof Offering in California, Competing with Tesla Energy https://t.co/CTV0knSWKk
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) May 12, 2022
The move will almost certainly use Tesla’s own Megapack system, which the company has already used in various places around the world to establish giant battery systems in support of local electrical grids.
Tesla built a big battery system using Megapacks in Victoria, Australia which is now operational.
The automaker and energy company also launched its first Megapack system in New York City earlier this month, after shipping around 158 Megapacks to Hawaii earlier this year which will help the state close its last remaining coal plant.
Tesla also has a Megapack system at PG&E’s Moss Landing, California site, and the company officially registered to sell electricity in Texas last year after a major blizzard left the state’s power authority helpless to cut off power for several residents statewide.
Last week, Tesla increased the energy capacity of its Megapack by 50%, while also increasing the physical dimensions as well.
I hope they put up as many solar panels as they can, as much battery storage as the need and if they need to round it all off with some wind turbines, they should do that too. It’s not enough to be the absolute leader in this transition to renewables, you have to be easily seen as such.