US sets up 'record levels' of grid batteries in Q2

• Installations reached 2608MWh having been boosted by a series of implementations in Texas, claims WoodMac

The United States energy storage market set a new record in the second quarter of 2022, with grid-scale setups totalling 2608 megawatt hours (MWh).

This is the highest set up capacity for any kind of 2nd quarter on record, according to Wood Mackenzie and also the American Clean Power Association's (ACP) most recent US Energy Storage Monitor report.

Grid-scale storage was boosted by a series of releases in Texas, with the state adding 60% of set up capacity in the quarter.

Vanessa Witte, elderly expert with Wood Mackenzie's energy storage team, stated: "Regardless of impressive growth, the United States grid-scale energy storage pipeline continues to encounter rolling delays into 2023 as well as beyond.

" Greater than 1.1 GW of projects originally set up to find online in Q2 were postponed or terminated, although 61% of this capacity, 709MW, is still arranged ahead online in Q3 and Q4 of 2022."

Supply chain issues, transport hold-ups and interconnection queue challenges were the major vehicle drivers behind delays in the commercial operations date (COD) for many projects, Witte included.

The United States Congress passed a solar investment tax credit (ITC) expansion and also standalone storage ITC as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

This vital item of legislation will certainly support all sections of the energy storage industry, boosting release of solar-plus-storage systems while likewise incentivising standalone facilities.

Consequently, Wood Mackenzie projections 59.2 GW of energy storage capacity to be included through 2026.

"The United States energy storage market is getting to maturity," said Jason Burwen, Vice President of Energy Storage at ACP.

"Energy storage is currently consistently being mounted at over a gigawatt per quarter. On top of that, Texas surpassing California this quarter need to function as a suggestion that generators, consumers, and grid drivers in all locations are increasingly counting on energy storage.

"Combined with the tailwinds of newly available tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, the question for investors as well as grid operators now is not whether to deploy storage, but just how much storage to release-- as well as exactly how quickly," Burwen added.