Releasing its latest white paper, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has unveiled an ambitious roadmap for energy storage expansion in the US, setting a goal to deploy 10 million distributed storage systems and touch 700 GWh of installed storage capacity by 2030. A Call for Stronger Policy SupportSEIA's paper details key policy recommendations to unlock market opportunities, strengthen financial backing, enhance domestic supply chains, and accelerate the adoption of long-duration storage technology. Additionally, SEIA has introduced a 50-state guide to energy storage policies, offering insights into state-level initiatives that could help drive deployment.Voicing her strong determination towards making the goal a reality, Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA President and CEO said, “Solar and storage is critical baseload power. Expanding energy storage capacity is a crucial means of ensuring our nation’s energy security and resilience. As demand for energy soars, storage helps turn quick-to-build, low-cost solar generation into clean, dispatchable power, ensuring our grid can adapt to challenges, support critical infrastructure, and deliver reliable power to every community.”Current Storage Landscape and Growth TargetsAs per Wood Mackenzie, the US currently has 83 GWh of installed energy storage capacity, including nearly 500,000 distributed storage installations. However, projections estimate 450 GWh by 2030, which falls short of the capacity needed to meet growing energy demands.To close this gap, SEIA is advocating for significant policy measures, including preserving federal tax credits for standalone storage projects; ensuring fair compensation for energy storage grid services; reforming interconnection policies to reflect storage flexibility; implementing state-level procurement programs to accelerate adoption; supporting domestic manufacturing through targeted trade policies; expanding investments in underserved communities vulnerable to extreme weather; and advancing long-duration storage research and development, among others.SEIA’s Director of Storage and Interconnection Joan White said, “The US storage market is at an inflection point” He continued, “But with the right mix of policy support, alongside private, state, and federal collaboration, we can achieve SEIA’s storage targets, create jobs, and ensuring reliable, round the clock clean power for every home and businesses in this country.”Recently, TaiyangNews had covered how energy storage solutions are crucial for a reliable, long-term renewable power supply (see Solar Inverters and Storage Solutions 2024).
