The U.S. energy storage sector added 9.7 GWh of capacity in Q1 2026, marking the strongest first quarter on record and a 32% increase year over year, according to the latest Energy Storage Market Outlook from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Key findings:

• Utility-scale storage led market growth, with 7.8 GWh installed in Q1
• Behind-the-meter deployments fell, driven by a pullback in residential activity

Looking ahead, installations are expected to exceed 110 GWh by 2030, reaching more than 600 GWh cumulatively.

Across ISOs, demand from data centers, industrial growth, and population continues to accelerate, and storage is playing a critical role in maintaining system balance.

Source: SEIA; Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Energy Storage Market Outlook Q2 2026