Energy storage can serve a series of applications that improve the performance of the electricity grid, from frequency regulation and load management to system peak shaving and storing excess renewable generation. With generation from intermittent renewable sources set to continue growing, energy storage will be imperative to securing grid stability. In the U.S., electricity capacity from diurnal storage is expected to grow nearly 25-fold in the next three decades, to reach some 164 gigawatts by 2050. Pumped storage and batteries are the main storage technologies in use in the country.
In 2022, lithium-ion was the main composition of large-scale battery storage installations in the U.S., accounting for roughly 99 percent of the installed capacity. In terms of regional distribution of energy storage capacity, California led the ranking that year. The Golden State had almost five gigawatts in operation at the time, more than double the operational capacity of runner-up Texas.
Pumped storage in the United States
Pumped storage hydropower is currently the leading energy storage technology in the U.S., accounting for more than 90 percent of the utility-scale storage rated power in the country. In 2022, pumped storage capacity in the U.S. stood at more than 19 gigawatts, the third largest in the world, only behind China and Japan. Pumped storage is an established technology that has been used for years to provide flexibility to the power grid. In fact, roughly seven out of ten utility-scale hydropower facilities operative in the U.S. started operation in the 1960s and 1970s. As of 2022, California, Virginia, and South Carolina were the leading U.S. states in hydropower storage capacity, each with more than 2.8 gigawatts.Batteries in the United States
While pumped hydropower is the historic choice of energy storage used in the U.S., batteries are the current trend. Battery capacity additions in the U.S. surpassed four gigawatts in 2022, a record high. This record is expected to be quickly broken, with another 9.4 gigawatts worth of additions projected for 2023. Meanwhile, around 300 gigawatts worth of standalone battery projects were in interconnection queues in the U.S., with another 30 gigawatts also awaiting connection as part of hybrid projects, mainly in combination with wind and solar power generation.In 2022, lithium-ion was the main composition of large-scale battery storage installations in the U.S., accounting for roughly 99 percent of the installed capacity. In terms of regional distribution of energy storage capacity, California led the ranking that year. The Golden State had almost five gigawatts in operation at the time, more than double the operational capacity of runner-up Texas.
