California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that while the state is continuing to add to its battery storage, it is not enough to avoid blackouts during heat waves, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Newsom said the state had battery storage systems with the capacity of 10,000 megawatts, 20% of the 52,000 megawatts California said is needed to meet climate goals, the Times reported. Newsom said California aims to have 100% clean energy by 2045.
The governor laughed when asked by reporters if California had enough battery storage to avoid blackouts during times of high power use, the Times said.
"We have a lot of work to do still in moving this transition, with the kind of stability that's required," Newsom said. "So, no, this is not today announcing that blackouts are part of the past."
California has increased battery capacity by 1,250% since 2019, according to Newsom's office, The Hill reported.
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