EIA: US battery storage capacity expected to double this year

Battery storage has seen strong growth in recent years, and the sector is set for strong growth this year and next. According to forecasts by a US government agency, installed capacity at US storage facilities is expected to nearly double this year, to more than 30 GW. Large solar farms combined with battery storage are also set to enter service in the US this year and next.

As installed capacity from intermittent renewables grows, so does the need for flexible resources on the grid. Battery storage can provide flexibility on both the demand and supply sides over the short term. In recent years, large battery storage facilities have therefore been built, with installed capacities in the hundreds of MW and enough capacity to operate for several hours.

In the United States, the rapid growth of storage is particularly evident in California and Texas, where renewable capacity is also growing quickly. According to the government agency the Energy Information Administration (EIA), California had a total of 7.3 GW of battery storage capacity as of last November.

Texas ranked second with 3.2 GW, followed by Arizona at a distant third with 800 MW. EIA’s statistics generally cover data on large industrial installations, so additional capacity is also available at customer sites.

The sector is set for strong growth this year and next

According to EIA data, large battery storage facilities in the US had a total capacity of 16 GW at the end of last year. Developers are expected to bring projects with a combined capacity of 15 GW online this year, followed by another 9 GW in 2025. EIA does not provide the capacity of the planned storage facilities, but in recent years systems capable of operating at full power for four hours have been particularly popular in the US.

The country’s largest and most powerful battery storage facility is currently Moss Landing, with 750 MW and 3000 MWh. However, bringing battery storage facilities of this scale online can also come with complications. For example, the Moss Landing facility itself was largely out of operation for several months after its battery cooling system failed and the batteries were damaged by water.