The US had a big battery boom last year

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Wired or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The United States experienced a record-breaking battery storage boom in 2025, installing unprecedented levels of grid-scale capacity as electricity demand surges and renewables expand

🔭 The context: Storage steps into the spotlight
• The US added 57 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage in 2025, nearly 30% more than in 2024
• That’s enough storage to power more than 5 million homes annually
• Growth was driven largely by utility-scale and stand-alone battery systems, not just solar-paired installations
• Rising electricity demand — including from AI data centres — is increasing the need for grid flexibility

🌍 Why it matters for people and the planet: Batteries help stabilise the grid by storing excess renewable energy and releasing it during peak demand
• Expanded storage reduces reliance on fossil fuel “peaker” plants
• Texas is emerging as a storage leader and may surpass California in total battery deployment
• The boom continues even as federal renewable policies face political headwinds

⏭️ What’s next: Analysts expect storage growth to continue, with projections of roughly 70 GWh of additional capacity in 2026
• As power demand rises, batteries could become central to preventing price spikes and blackouts
• The scale of storage deployment may increasingly shape how fast the US can decarbonize its grid

📈 One stat: The US installed a record 57 GWh of battery storage in 2025, marking nearly 30% year-over-year growth.

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