It's also very hush-hush.
The recently revealed Tesla Model S Plaid and its weird and possibly illegal yoke steering wheel has dominated the news lately. But at the same time, the California-based automaker has been very quietly embarking on a new, secret project in Texas. Bloomberg reports that Tesla subsidiary Gambit Energy Storage has begun building a more-than-100-megawatt energy storage project in the Lone Star state, specifically in the town of Angleton, about 40 miles south of Houston.
What's so special about a battery like this? It's capable of providing power to around 20,000 homes, assuming it's a hot summer day. The construction of this project is so secret that workers on site are also tasked with hiding equipment from locals and the media.
However, a Tesla logo spotted on a worker's hardhat provided a dead giveaway of who's behind the project. Public records confirmed the rest. The timing of this project getting underway could not be better for Tesla. Texas recently suffered mass power outages due to a severe winter storm last month, proving the state's power grid and general infrastructure is not reliable.
Tesla already offers the PowerPack and larger MegaPack for utility customers and, since 2015, sells the Powerwall home battery system to private customers. The following year, Tesla acquired SolarCity, a solar panel producer and installer. The so-called "solar roof" can now be installed on private homes.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently moved from California to Texas, yet another sign that the 49-year-old billionaire wants to keep a close eye on the latest projects, which also includes the Austin Gigafactory that'll soon begin Cybertruck production. This massive new 100-megawatt battery, upon completion, will be one of the world's largest battery projects. Tesla already has a 20-megawatt system online supporting the Los Angeles area. A 182.5-megawatt system is also currently under construction in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What does this all mean? Tesla intends to be an energy provider leader, along with continued plans to dominate the electric vehicle market. Texas has long been a dominant force for US energy production with natural gas, oil, wind, and solar resources. Musk and Tesla Energy intend to add renewables to that list.
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