"Replace" is a strong word and implies that batteries can be completely interchangable with a gas peaker plant.... I disagree !!
Gas peakers, as we all know, are subject to massive and violent swings in electrical demand. The design and function of these peaker plants is to follow that ever changing demand.
"Peakers"(gas turbines) all stand ready to immediately combust natural gas at a moments notice to meet demand. Peaker Stations can be easily expanded and contracted to meet demand and future plans. Peaker gas turbines are the first cousin of the ultra-reliable aircraft engines. Batteries, of course, must be charged and "at the ready" to meet the swing in demand. The electric power stored must be generated far ahead of time
Can these TESLA batteries follow and address these load swings ? ... MBA authors of these articles don't like to talk about this ....
Years of repeated load swings shorten the lifetime of any machine,.... batteries or gas turbines.
But ultra reliable gas turbines have lifetimes of decades, are a well understood technology and emit minimal pollution when burning nat gas !!! What pollution was emitted when the TESLA battery packs are charged ? (Probably, natural gas was burned !)
What is the economic lifetime of these "TESLA Peakers" ? .... Again, the silence of the MBAs ....
TESLA Battery packs probably have a place in our nation's future .... but they will not replace gas peaker plants, in the same way apples will not replace oranges.
Despite what the MBAs will tell you
A much more informative and balanced article is here:
