Last year, the United States installed nearly 58 gigawatt-hours of battery storage, the largest single-year buildout on record, according to a report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The total represents about a 30% increase over the previous year and reflects rapid growth in energy storage nationwide.
The Mountain West is playing a major role in that expansion. Five states in the region — Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho and Colorado — ranked in the top 10 nationally for installed battery capacity. Large projects like Nevada’s Gemini Battery Storage Project and Colorado’s Front Range battery installations are helping drive the region’s growth.
Report authors say batteries are becoming increasingly important as renewable energy expands. They allow utilities to capture solar power during the day and release it when demand peaks in the evening.
Joan White with the Solar Energy Industries Association said the technology is helping modernize the electric grid.
“Energy storage helps the grid step into the 21st Century,” White said. “So, responding to large loads, including AI and data centers. But also growing consumer demand for EVs and home heating and electrification.”
White said another factor driving growth is aging energy infrastructure across the region.
“And that infrastructure needs to be retired,” she continued. “And because the market economics for energy storage are so good, utilities are choosing to replace that aging infrastructure with batteries.”
Still, White noted that federal policy can affect how quickly new projects move forward. Incentives and permitting rules can shape whether battery installations are built quickly or delayed.
Analysts say demand for battery storage is expected to keep growing as utilities modernize the grid — driven by rising electricity use, electric vehicles, large data centers, home electrification, and AI-related demands.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between KUNR, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
