This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
How does it figure batteries generate electricity? Do they only charge them when there's excess solar?
Capacity and generation are two different things. Grid operators have capacity markets that ensure peak load can be met, and incude generations assets, demand response, energy efficiency, etc. Batteries absolutely coumt as capacity so long as they are managed to do so.
The headline seems to mean 81% of generation and storage capacity. When the article talks about battery storage, it only says storage, not generation.
"new"
Electric generating facilities that are being closed or downsized are dominated by coal, so this means they're largely being replaced by renewable energy
Yes, the article is obfuscating the relevant figures by comparing the expected additions to last year's addictions and also in percentages hiding the fact that this is a drop in a bucket.
The electric production in USA year 2022 was 60% fossils and it will be 60% fossils in this year too.
