A leading U.S. solar industry group unveiled an ambitious plan on Wednesday to expand energy storage and support renewable energy growth.
Why It Matters
Rising electricity demand from data centers has driven investment in nuclear, geothermal, and natural gas. Large-scale energy storage—mainly lithium-ion batteries—can help wind and solar meet this demand by storing excess power for later use.
The Target
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) aims to deploy 700 gigawatt-hours of energy storage by 2030—55% more than current forecasts. The plan includes:
- 80% grid-scale storage
- 20% in residential, commercial, and community projects
What’s Next
SEIA is urging policymakers to:
- Boost domestic battery production
- Enable storage to compete in energy markets
- Create state procurement programs
- Maintain federal energy storage subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act
The Political Landscape
While SEIA pushes for clean energy expansion, former President Donald Trump has suspended federal leasing and permitting for wind projects, signaling opposition to renewables. Meanwhile, his call for faster infrastructure permitting could impact future energy storage efforts.
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