Batteries just broke another record in the US

In the second quarter of 2026, the United States installed 20.2 gigawatt-hours of new battery capacity, setting a new record.

This amount of energy is sufficient to meet the daily electricity needs of approximately 700,000 homes.

The total battery capacity installed in 2026 is projected to reach 71 gigawatt-hours, which represents a 20% increase compared to the previous year.

This growth is primarily driven by two factors: the decreasing cost of batteries and the increasing demand for energy storage solutions as renewable energy sources like solar and onshore wind power are integrated into the national grid.

The expansion is largely led by large-scale, utility-owned battery systems, which accounted for most of the record-breaking installations during the quarter.

According to a report by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the Solar Energy Industries Association, seven new gigascale battery installations—each with a capacity exceeding one gigawatt-hour—were completed in this period.