Texas on track to lead nation in energy storage, report finds – Houston

Michael Minasi | KUT News

Texas is on track to lead the country in energy storage capacity as the state sees rapid growth in the number of battery storage facilities.

That’s according to a recent report from the Solar Energy Industries Association.

“Texas has the fastest-growing battery storage market in the country,” said Daniel Giese, the solar association’s state affairs director for Texas.

These battery facilities capture electricity and release it to the power grid when energy demand spikes or supply is low.

The state is on track to surpass California for the most energy storage capacity in the U.S., the report found.

That’s because there’s been an increasing demand for energy in Texas as the state’s population grows and more data centers look to connect to its power grid.

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“It’s growing because of market forces,” Giese said. “There’s just so much load growth happening in the state.”

While Texas is known for its oil and gas industry, the state is also a leader in renewable energy sources such as solar power and battery storage.

Over the last five years, the state has seen a rapid expansion of battery facilities. Energy experts say the growth in battery storage has helped Texas build a more resilient power grid after the state saw deadly blackouts during a 2021 winter storm.

“Energy storage is so important because whenever prices start to rise, that’s whenever energy storage kicks in and it’s delivering that affordable power – excess power that they captured during low demand hours,” Giese said.

Giese said the state’s leaders have also encouraged home energy storage systems by streamlining the permitting process.

“Residential storage is one of those resources that policy makers realize that homeowners want (and) homeowners need, the same way the grid needs backup power,” he said.