U.S. Energy Storage Deployments Set Quarterly Record

---

Written by Danny Levin, Deputy Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

---

Summary

U.S. deployments of battery energy storage systems continued growing in the second quarter, buoyed by growth in utility-scale capacity.

---

BESS Deployments on the Rise

Approximately 20.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery energy storage systems (BESS) were deployed in the U.S. in the second quarter, marking the strongest quarter in the sector's history, according to the "U.S. Energy Storage Market Outlook" produced by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Limited. The growth was buoyed by utility-scale capacity.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is a London-based market research and price reporting agency covering global critical mineral and energy supply chains.

This includes both front-of-the-meter (FTM) and behind-the-meter (BTM) systems. For the purposes of the report, FTM is synonymous with utility-scale generation, while BTM refers to residential and commercial & industrial (C&I) deployments located on-site.

For BTM, C&I added 1.8 GWh and residential storage added 657 megawatt-hours.

Industrial Info Resources data show more than $600 billion worth of active and planned BESS projects across the U.S, although about $175 billion worth have a medium and high probability (70-99%) of moving forward as planned; this includes both standalone and storage-plus-solar projects.

The 20.2 GWh of new BESS capacity that came online in the second quarter is up 11% compared with second-quarter 2025.

Of the 20.2 GWh, 17.9 GWh came from utility-scale capacity, up from 7.8 GWh added in last quarter's report. By resource, standalone storage accounted for 56% of the most recent capacity additions, with storage paired with solar accounting for 44%.

According to the report, Arizona, California, Utah and Texas each deployed more than 2.5 GWh.

"Energy storage is no longer just a California and Texas story anymore," said Shan Tomouk, BESS & Energy Lead at Benchmark Minerals, in a press release. "We're seeing strong pipeline growth in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado and several other states."

The report specifically noted Arizona led the country in second-quarter storage installations, with its 6.2 GWh marking the strongest quarter for any one state on record. Texas and California installed 3.8 GWh and 3.6 GWh, respectively.

U.S. BESS Projects

Industrial Info Resources data show more than $600 billion worth of active and planned BESS projects across the U.S, although about $175 billion worth have a medium and high probability (70-99%) of moving forward as planned.

The Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database offers a full list of projects, which includes those with a high, medium, and low probability of moving forward as planned.

In Texas, TotalEnergies is building the Wichita Solar 1 Plant in Electra, just south of the Oklahoma border, which features roughly 150 megawatts (MW) of BESS capacity paired with solar generation. Construction could wrap up by late 2027. Standalone BESS projects include a 400-MW+ unit in Brazoria, outside of Houston, which could wrap up next year. Readers can view detailed project reports on the Electra and Brazoria projects.

Projects in Arizona include Enlight Renewable Energy's addition of a 475-MW BESS unit at its Snowflake PV Solar Plant in Holbrook, near the New Mexico border. The generation could be operational next year. View the project report here.

Meanwhile, Nevada is home to the highest-valued project with a medium and high probability of moving forward as planned: renewable energy platform SB Energy, which is backed by SoftBank Group, is developing an estimated $2.3 billion grassroot solar-plus-storage project in Yerington. Dubbed "Libra," the project is designed for 700 MW of BESS and solar capacity, respectively--which would be the largest solar-plus-storage project in the state. View the detailed project report.

The SEIA report noted U.S. energy storage capacity has nearly doubled in the first 18 months of the current administration, from 88 GWh to 165 GWh.

By the Numbers

• 20.2 GWh: The amount of battery energy storage systems deployed in the U.S. during the second quarter, most of which was utility-scale capacity
• 863 GWh: Demand forecast through 2030
• US$175 billion: The value of active and planned U.S. BESS projects being tracked by IIR with a medium or high probability of moving forward as planned

Current Landscape, Demand Forecast and Potential Headwinds

The report notes U.S. policy landscape for BESS since the start of 2026 has been a "balancing act between domestic manufacturing ambitions, immediate grid needs, and energy security." In addition, states are codifying the importance of energy storage by announcing targets and incentive structures.

With expected load growth across the U.S. driven by industries such as artificial intelligence, the report says, more announcements are expected in the future.

This is in line with report's latest forecast for energy storage demand through 2030 of 863 GWh--up 11.5% from last quarter.

However, there are potential headwinds: last quarter's report noted trade and tariff disputes with China loom over the outlook for future deployments of BESS in the U.S.

And on August 26, Trump signed an executive order that could hamper grid-scale BESS installations: banning "any acquisition, importation, transfer, or installation" of foreign-produced power-grid equipment, including battery energy storage systems. The order is aimed at 24 countries on U.S. embargo and sanctions lists, including China, and applies to transactions "initiated" after the signing date. The U.S. Department of Energy has 120 days to publish implementing rules or regulations.

Benchmark senior BESS research analyst Pete Tillotson said the order could be "highly disruptive to the U.S. grid should it be implemented to its fullest extent."

Key Takeaways

• The U.S. battery energy storage market continued growing sharply in the second quarter first quarter.
• However, future growth could depend on the U.S. and China settling their trade and tariff disputes as well as the implementation of an August executive order banning foreign imports of battery energy storage systems from China and 23 other countries.

---

About Industrial Info Resources
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, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).