US-CLIMATE-WEATHER-ENERGY-CALIFORNIA

Weikko Wirta, AES Southland Director of Operations and Vice President of Southland Energy, walks inside a building with the AES Alamitos Battery Energy Storage System, which provides stored renewable energy to supply electricity during peak demand periods, in Long Beach, California on September 16, 2022. Dire predictions of blackouts in California during this month's fearsome heat wave never came to pass, with technology -- and a dose of community spirit -- helping the creaking electricity grid through its most testing period ever. "Batteries stepped in and... played a critical role" in rebalancing electricity demand, said Weikko Wirta, director of operations at AES Southland, a 400 megawatt installation at Long Beach near Los Angeles. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)