The US added a record 20.2 GWh of battery storage in just 3 months

Key Points:

• The US battery storage market set a new record in Q2 2026 by adding 20.2 GWh of capacity, bringing total installations for the first half of 2026 to 30.8 GWh, a 23% increase year over year, according to SEIA and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
• Utility-scale battery projects drove nearly all growth, with 18 GWh installed in Q2, including seven large projects primarily in Arizona, California, and Utah; Arizona alone added a record 6.2 GWh.
• Battery storage supplied more electricity to the US grid in the first eight months of 2026 than in all of 2025, highlighting its growing role in energy reliability and cost management.
• Residential battery storage declined 27% year over year in Q2 2026, partly due to the expiration of the federal 25D clean energy tax credit and a rush of installations in 2025, though long-term demand remains promising.
• US battery manufacturing expanded with Tesla opening its third Megafactory in Texas, and Benchmark raised its 2030 storage forecast by 11.5% to 683 GWh, expecting 71 GWh of installations in 2026, a 20% increase over 2025.