Elon Musk Takes to Twitter to Tout Tesla Batteries as California Burns

(Bloomberg) -- Power grid down? No problem, says Elon Musk.

As California girds for its fourth major intentional blackout this month, Tesla Inc.’s chief executive officer is again using the crisis to promote the company’s energy products.

But don’t expect the systems to run an entire home, said Michelle Davis, an analyst at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables.

“Tesla, like other solar companies, is taking advantage of this uptick in interest,” Davis said in an interview Monday. “Most solar-plus-batteries can only provide minimal services -- just a few circuits in the home.”

As California utilities cut off electricity in an effort to prevent wildfires, energy executives are taking to Twitter to play up the idea that their customers’ homes will stay lit when the neighbors lose power. Sunrun Inc., the biggest U.S. rooftop solar company, has also been actively promoting its solar-and-battery systems on Twitter.

Musk also tweeted Monday that Tesla is giving California priority for new solar-battery installations. And people who are directly affected by wildfires will get a $1000 discount, he said in another tweet.

--With assistance from Dana Hull.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Eckhouse in New York at beckhouse@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Lynn Doan at ldoan6@bloomberg.net, Will Wade, Reg Gale

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