Global battery storage deployments hit 27% growth in H1; the Pentagon blocked 155 wind projects over drone radar; and the EU put direct air capture on the grid bill.
Grid-scale battery energy storage deployments grew 27% year-on-year in H1 2026, with Saudi Arabia as an unexpected volume driver in June alongside the US, China, and Australia. The pace exceeds prior-year market estimates.
The European Commission released its Electrification Action Plan, formally confirming the requirement for 200 GW of energy storage across EU member states by 2030 as a core enabler of the clean power transition, with detail on demand flexibility and grid investment priorities.
India's government awarded long-duration energy storage contracts covering 1,344 MW of pumped hydro and the country's first utility-scale vanadium flow battery project—setting a national precedent for non-lithium grid storage at commercial scale.
The US Department of Defense froze permitting for more than 155 onshore wind projects citing drone radar interference, blocking several gigawatts of capacity. A coalition of 18 state attorneys general filed suit this week challenging the legal authority behind the freeze.
Australia's grid connected 9.1 GW of new generation and storage in the fiscal year ending June 2026—more than double the prior year—with grid-scale batteries accounting for the majority of new capacity. The pace is outstripping national planning targets.
Lazard's annual Levelized Cost of Energy analysis confirms unsubsidized utility-scale solar and onshore wind remain cheaper than new natural gas and coal in most markets. Storage-plus-solar now competes with gas peakers on an unsubsidized basis.
The European Commission proposed integrating direct air capture into the EU Emissions Trading System, creating a financial mechanism to compensate operators for verified carbon removals. The move follows years in which DAC projects struggled to find commercial revenue.
HyperStrong signed a 60 GWh three-year sodium-ion supply deal with CATL for utility-scale applications, while Alfen and CATL announced a separate 5 GWh sodium-ion partnership for the European market—65 GWh of sodium-ion commitments in a single week.