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U.S. battery storage installations hit record 3.3 GW in first quarter of 2026
Demand for batteries has risen sharply as data center developers seek storage to handle power surges from AI systems. U.S. installations hit new highs across utility, commercial and residential sectors.
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U.S. battery energy storage installations reached a record 3.3 GW and 8.4 GWh in the first quarter of 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Storage Monitor report from the American Clean Power Association and Wood Mackenzie.
The total surpassed the prior first-quarter mark by 54 percent, with utility, commercial and residential segments each setting new highs. com reported that developers of data centers and AI computing facilities have driven the increase by turning to battery systems to manage extreme power fluctuations.
-based sodium-ion battery start-up Alsym Energy, which has received backing from India’s Tata Group, recorded a surge in demand this year.
“Battery has become an essential component, not a desired component of data centres,” Alsym Energy chief executive Mukesh Chatter told the Financial Times. Executives at other battery start-ups operating in the United States, Europe and Asia described similar rises in orders from data-center operators.
The world’s largest battery manufacturer, CATL, stated that sales of battery storage systems are expected to represent half of its total revenue in the coming years.
The U.S. Energy Storage Monitor projects that the domestic battery storage market will nearly quadruple over the next six years.
