United States adds 20 GWh of solar energy storage capacity, report says
A new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association has found that the U.S. energy storage industry installed a record 20.2 gigawatt hours of new capacity in the second quarter, bringing total installations in 2026 to 30.8 GWh.
The U.S. Energy Storage Market Outlook, released by SEIA and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, states that energy storage capacity has nearly doubled from 88 GWh to 165 GWh in the first 18 months of the Trump administration. According to the report, grid operators, utilities and energy buyers are turning to storage as a way to strengthen grid reliability and meet rising electricity demand.
“This record growth highlights that storage is a powerful reliability tool that strengthens our energy security, meets rising demand and puts downward pressure on electricity bills,” Tim Pawlenty, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said.
The report forecasted an 11.5 percent increase in energy storage demand through 2030. Officials said they expected energy storage to increase to 683 GWh. The increase comes as the industry continues to set deployment records, with more than 10 percent of all energy storage capacity installed in the U.S. coming online in just the second quarter of 2026.
Arizona led the country in energy storage capacity installed, with 6.2 GWh installed in Q2. The state has the nation’s fourth-largest solar market, which is increasingly paired with its abundant solar resources to capture “homegrown power” as a way to meet rising demand while keeping electricity costs down.
“Energy storage is no longer just a California and Texas story anymore,” Shan Tomouk, BESS & Energy Lead at Benchmark Minerals, said. “We’re seeing strong pipeline growth in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado and several other states.”
Battery energy storage supplied more electricity to the grid in the first eight months of 2026 than in all of 2025, the report said. The energy storage helped states like Texas and California during periods of extreme heat, and supported grid reliability, officials with SEIA said.