Highlights from February Battery Storage Events

‍DOE Energy Storage Finance Summit in New York, USA

• Overheard at the conference: DOE and DOD state, “Li-ion is viewed and evaluated as a security threat if made outside the U.S.” There will be heavy emphasis on increasing domestic ESS production.
• DOE benchmark for long-duration energy storage (LDES) is $0.05/kWh and an intense focus for the DOE and the Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC).
• The first-moving states on LDES will likely be IL, ME, and MI to address seasonal load fluctuations and the generation mixes in those regions.
• There’s widespread concern among stakeholders due to funding uncertainty. 90% of new resources added to the grid last year were clean energy sources.

E-World in Essen, Germany

• As battery storage adoption grows, data-driven insights are essential to optimize performance and availability, prevent failures, and extend battery life.
• New EU policies demand better battery monitoring and lifecycle management, making advanced analytics crucial for compliance and profitability

NAATBatt’s Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL, USA

NAATBatt Key Trends for 2025 in the U.S. battery industry that will drive attention and investment:

• Regional gigafactory investments
• Uncertainty over Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
• Localized supply chains
• Battery recycling growth
• Domestic ESS storage advances and controls
• LFP, Na-ion, and solid-state growth and market acceptance
• Extended-range EVs and fast/bi-directional charging
• Fire safety innovations
• Global competition
• Industry co-operation and consolidation

Energy Storage Summit in London, UK

• The German BESS market is heating up—everyone in Europe wants a piece of it.
• Australia might become the first real market for viable long-duration storage (8+ hours).
• BESS safety remains crucial, but priorities are shifting toward performance & availability—maximizing revenue is the focus.
• Many BESS projects in the pipeline are not ready for construction and might never get there.
• Integration is getting highly competitive, which will drive costs down even further.
  
  

IESNA in San Diego, CA, USA

The conference notes positive on long term growth and consumed by short-term political uncertainty.

• Executive orders cause short-term uncertainty but pose no long-term threat.
• Private investments may pause, with clarity expected by year-end.
• Some developers may not have the project financing to weather delays, creating acquisition opportunities for asset owners with more stable/patient capital.
• Executive orders acknowledge an "energy emergency," aligning with the renewable sector’s stance.
• Electricity prices are rising 50% faster than inflation. An "all-of-the-above" energy strategy is essential, however while natural gas projects take 3+ years, declining solar and battery costs combined with faster deployment drive renewable growth.
• Manufacturing and renewable tax incentives are likely to remain.
• Removing renewable tax credits would undermine domestic industry growth.

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