U.S. grid battery installations surged to a record last year, reaching the highest-ever level of annual added capacity despite tariffs and federal policy headwinds, according to a new report.
The Solar Energy Industries Association and research firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence said Monday that the industry installed more than 57 gigawatt-hours in 2025, roughly 30 percent higher than the previous year. Growth was spurred by state policies, surging AI-driven electricity demand, renewable additions to the grid and a push to install projects ahead of “foreign entity” rules in the Republican megalaw, according to analysts.
“The US energy storage market has entered a new phase of sustained, high volume-deployments,” Iola Hughes, head of research at Benchmark Minerals, said in a statement. “As policy, manufacturing and market demand align, storage is playing a pivotal role in meeting peak demand, reducing price volatility and improving overall system resilience.”
The Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to throw out President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs could boost the industry further, although the president announced after the ruling he would raise global tariffs to 15 percent and find other avenues to implement levies. Chinese and Southeast Asian suppliers of batteries — the majority of the market — also continue to face high tariffs that were enacted under authority not considered by the high court.
