When the wind doesn’t blow: The limits of intermittent resources and battery storage in the decarbonization of New England’s power system under increased electrification

An important strategy for New England states to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets is increased electrification of transportation and residential heating alongside the expansion of intermittent wind and solar electric generation resources. Large-scale battery storage is investigated to shift temporally generation from when it is produced to when it is needed due to multi-day renewable resource production declines. Firm generation resources or a technology breakthrough is needed to meet demand during these multi-day periods.