Battery installations hit a new record in the US, with 20.2 gigawatt-hours of new capacity in the second quarter of 2026. This growth is driven by cheaper batteries and a push for more energy storage as renewables ramp up. Massive utility-scale systems are leading the way, with seven new gigascale installations.

However, residential systems saw a slowdown due to the end of a key tax credit. Nonresidential batteries, on the other hand, are holding steady. The US is moving towards domestic production, but prices could rise as factories struggle to meet demand.

Isshu Kikuma, an energy storage analyst, notes that batteries are a bright spot in the US energy sector. But the trend towards domestic manufacturing could make things tricky. As Shan Tomouk, from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, says, 'It really came down to a handful of big projects.'

Deep dive: The shift towards US-made technology could change the game, but prices might spike as local production ramps up. Homeowners should see a recovery by the decade’s end, but for now, the focus is on bigger batteries and behind-the-meter systems.