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California Energy Commission's Noemí Gallardo on the state's BESS expansion
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Fusion42 · 1 October 2026 · Fusion42 review
California is expanding its battery energy storage systems (BESS), focusing on diversifying beyond 4-hour lithium-ion batteries to include long-duration energy storage (LDES) to improve grid reliability and integrate more renewables. The state is streamlining permitting and interconnection processes through the Opt-In Certification Programme and collaboration with CPUC and CAISO, while addressing community impacts and supporting tribal energy sovereignty.
This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Clean Energy.
◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
California’s fast-track permitting via the Opt-In Certification opens a direct path for your BESS projects to bypass local delays. You can pivot now to target underserved regions including tribal lands, where deployments are gaining state support and community benefit conditions.
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1 source · 1 Oct 2026
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