EIA: 66% Surge in Utility-Scale Battery-Storage Capacity in 2024

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. added more than 26 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale battery-storage capacity in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), an increase of 66% from 2023. Industrial Info is tracking billions' worth of active and planned battery-storage projects across the U.S.

Last month, the EIA forecasted 63 GW of new utility-scale power installations in 2025, a nearly 30% increase from 2024, of which 81% would come from solar and battery storage. For more information, see February 25, 2025, article - EIA: Solar, Battery Storage to Lead U.S. Power Additions in 2025.

The EIA said in January that California and Texas had the most installed battery-storage capacity of any state, with 7.3 GW and 3.2 GW, respectively.

In Texas, a 300-megawatt (MW) solar plant and 200-MW BESS are under construction as part of Clearway Energy's (NYSE:CWEN) (San Francisco, California) $685 million Pine Forest Solar Project in Hopkins County, outside of Dallas. The BESS will store excess power and dispatch it when demand is high, or the sun isn't shining, and the project is expected to begin commercial operations by the end of the year. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.

Owned by the U.S. unit of Tokyo Gas Company Limited (Tokyo, Japan), a 350-MW standalone BESS at the site of the operational Longbow Solar Plant in Brazoria County is expected to begin commercial operations this summer. "The planned construction site for Longbow is located near Houston, a city with a high demand for electricity, also with a high demand for balancing power," Tokyo Gas said in a 2023 press release after acquiring the project. "We will contribute to the stabilization of the power supply in ERCOT by discharging electricity during periods of high electricity prices due to insufficient supply and balancing capacity in the market."

Click here to read the project report.

Among the projects underway in California is a BESS at the Country Acres solar plant just west of Roseville, which is a partnership between Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD) (Sacramento, California) and developer Clenera Energy (Boise, Idaho). The project is expected to wrap up in September 2026. The solar plant is still being developed, and construction is expected to kick off later this year. Click here for the BESS and solar portions.

One of the highest-valued colocated BESS projects underway is located in Utah. rPlus Power, a part of the Gardner Group (Salt Lake City, Utah), is building out the $1.6 billion Green River Energy Center in Emery County; the BESS will use Tesla Incorporated's (NASDAQ:TSLA) (Austin, Texas) Megapack technology to offer 400 MW of capacity in times of high demand or when the 400-MW solar plant is not sourcing sunlight. Construction kicked off in September of last year and is expected to wrap up around the end of 2026. The project has a power purchase agreement in place with PacifiCorp (Portland, Oregon). Learn more by viewing the project report.

Industrial Info is tracking $4.8 billion worth of active and planned BESS projects across the U.S. that are set to begin construction before the end of March. For more information, see January 9, 2024, article - U.S. BESS Market to See More than $4 Billion in 1Q Kickoffs.

Subscribers to the GMI Database can click here for all project reports mentioned in this article and click here for related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).