New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Storage industry’s $100bn investment in US-made grid batteries
7/5/2025
News
The American Clean Power Association (ACP) has announced a commitment to invest $100bn into building and buying US-made grid batteries on behalf of the US energy storage industry. Meanwhile, a new report outlines how the US transmission grid can meet surging demand while reducing costs for consumers.
According to US trade group ACP, the industry’s investment hopes to advance a manufacturing expansion in the US with the aim of enabling US-made batteries to meet 100% of domestic energy storage project demand by 2030. It is expected to create 350,000 jobs across the battery energy storage industry.
The bulk of the funding will come from ACP member companies, which include major renewable energy developers, battery manufacturers, utilities and supply chain partners.
The industry is in the process of building 25 new or expanded manufacturing facilities; of these, 11 are now in operation or under construction.
‘The energy storage industry is providing essential power when needed most while boosting domestic manufacturing and creating jobs across the country. Today’s historic commitment will invest billions of dollars into American communities and position the US as a manufacturing leader in battery technology that is critical to national and grid security,’ commented Jason Grumet, Chief Executive Officer, ACP.
Solutions for the surge
A new report from the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has highlighted the role grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) and high-performance conductors (HPCs) can play in ensuring the US transmission grid can meet the surging near-term power demand from growing economic sectors while keeping costs down for consumers.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) recent transmission planning and cost allocation rule, Order 1920, mandates transmission providers develop scenario-based, long-term transmission planning that includes the consideration of GETs and HPCs.
‘GETs and HPCs are proven tools that can add critical grid capacity in less than a year in some instances,’ notes Elise Caplan, ACORE’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. ‘FERC’s directive in Order 1920 sets the stage for transmission providers to cost-effectively address rapid load growth and other challenges to the grid through careful consideration of these technologies.’
According to the report, these technologies are well-established, cost-effective technologies that can be quickly deployed in the near term on the existing system and complement the longer-term buildout of transmission. ACORE finds that cost savings associated with the seven benefits FERC laid out in Order 1920 can range from tens to hundreds of millions of dollars annually per region – totalling several billions of dollars per year for all US consumers if they become widely adopted.
‘In finalising Order 1920, FERC directed transmission providers to revamp their planning processes to better plan and prepare the system for future challenges. But it will take some time before Order 1920 is fully effective,’ comments Rich Glick, Principal at GQS New Energy Strategies and former FERC Chair. ‘In the meantime, action is needed to address more immediate threats to reliability and affordability. This report shows that GETs and HPCs offer a near-term capacity solution while grid operators continue to plan the regional transmission lines needed to meet future challenges.’
