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the build-out: batteries, renewables, electric flight.
Energy Tech — briefly, then briefly again · tbb.ceo
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#007 ·24 JUL 2026 ·FRIDAY ·6 MIN READ ·10 STORIES + 11 EXTRAS

New chemistries, old frictions

Two US LFP plants went live on the same weekend, 65 GWh of sodium-ion supply deals closed, and perovskite tandem efficiency records and manufacturing commitments both leapt forward -- all while $100 oil and fresh tariffs reminded everyone that the transition's physics and its politics operate on separate clocks. The bottom line: the energy storage and solar manufacturing buildout is now running fast enough that trade barriers and supply shocks register as cost headwinds rather than existential threats.

01 / The Ten

The week, ranked

10

Ford and GM-LG both start US LFP production in the same weekend

Ford began making lithium iron phosphate cells at BlueOval Battery Park in Michigan -- the first American automaker to manufacture LFP domestically -- while the LG-GM Ultium Cells joint venture simultaneously started LFP mass production in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Both lines qualify for IRA domestic manufacturing credits that imported Chinese LFP cannot claim. The US went from zero domestic LFP capacity to two operational plants in 48 hours.

Why it mattersLFP is the dominant global battery chemistry by volume and cost, and the US had none of its own. Two plants going live simultaneously means American battery supply chains now exist for the chemistry that matters most to grid storage and affordable EVs.
01 media.ford.com↗

Sodium-ion reaches grid scale: 65 GWh of supply deals in one week

HyperStrong signed a 60 GWh three-year sodium-ion supply agreement with CATL for utility-scale storage, while Alfen and CATL announced a separate 5 GWh sodium-ion partnership for the European market. Combined, that is 65 GWh of commercial sodium-ion commitments in a single week -- more than the entire sodium-ion market shipped in 2025.

Why it mattersSodium-ion has been the most promising lithium alternative for stationary storage. Sixty-five gigawatt-hours of signed supply deals converts it from a pilot curiosity into a grid procurement line item with real delivery schedules.
02 energy-storage.news↗

LONGi breaks world record: 35.5% silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell

LONGi achieved 35.5% conversion efficiency on a crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell, certified by a European testing authority. The result surpasses the prior world record for the tandem architecture and pushes closer to the theoretical efficiency ceiling that single-junction silicon cannot reach.

Why it mattersSilicon solar cells are approaching their physical efficiency limit around 27%. Tandem architectures are the only credible route to commercially viable cells above 30%, and each certified record tightens the timeline from lab to factory.
03 cleantechnica.com↗

India signs 10 GW perovskite-silicon tandem manufacturing deal

Rayzon Solar and Navitas signed five-year agreements with US-based Caelux to manufacture perovskite-silicon tandem modules in India at a combined 10-gigawatt annual scale, targeting 28% conversion efficiency. It is the largest announced perovskite manufacturing commitment outside China.

Why it mattersPerovskite tandem has been stuck in the gap between record cells and factory output. A 10 GW commitment in India, using American IP, opens a non-Chinese supply chain for next-generation solar at a scale that forces the rest of the industry to respond.
04 pv-magazine.com↗

China imposes first-ever consumption tax on PV cells and batteries

China's Ministry of Finance announced a 2% consumption tax on photovoltaic cells and battery products, rising to 4% in 2028, paired with tighter energy-efficiency standards. The move is a deliberate consolidation push: all four major Chinese module makers -- Tongwei, LONGi, JA Solar, and Trina -- simultaneously disclosed first-half losses from persistent overcapacity.

Why it mattersThe country that produces roughly 80% of global solar and battery supply just taxed its own manufacturers for the first time. This will ripple through module prices, project economics, and foreign-entity-of-concern calculations worldwide for months.
05 pv-magazine.com↗

Global battery storage deployments grew 27% in H1 2026

Grid-scale battery energy storage installations rose 27% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, with Saudi Arabia emerging as an unexpected volume driver alongside the US, China, and Australia. The pace exceeds most prior-year market forecasts.

Why it mattersTwenty-seven percent compound growth in a market already measured in hundreds of gigawatt-hours means storage is no longer catching up to renewables -- it is scaling alongside them, and grid planners have about one planning cycle before it reshapes capacity assumptions.
06 energy-storage.news↗

Oil crosses $100 as new tariffs land on solar panels and batteries

Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers pushed crude above $100 per barrel -- the first time since 2022 -- while new US tariffs of 10-12.5% simultaneously came into force on solar panels, battery cells, and clean energy equipment from more than 80 countries. The energy transition faces higher fossil fuel prices and higher clean energy equipment costs at the same time.

Why it mattersExpensive oil strengthens the economic case for electrification while tariffs raise the cost of the equipment needed to electrify. The contradiction will show up directly in 2026 project economics and force developers to choose between speed and margin.
07 heatmap.news↗

BloombergNEF revises data centre power demand up 83% to 194 GW by 2035

BNEF raised its data centre electricity demand forecast to 194 gigawatts by 2035, an 83% increase from prior estimates. The pressure concentrates on PJM and ERCOT grids. Meanwhile, solar PPA prices fell nearly 5% in Q2 2026 -- the demand surge and the clean energy buildout are tracking on separate curves.

Why it mattersAn 83% upward revision in a single update is a forecast-model admission that the prior world no longer exists. Every utility resource plan, grid interconnection queue, and generation investment thesis now recalibrates against this number.
08 heatmap.news↗

European solar hits record 25% of EU electricity, outpacing gas for second straight month

Solar generation supplied 25% of EU electricity in June 2026, a new monthly record, and outpaced natural gas as the bloc's single largest generation source for the second consecutive month. This happened the same week European electricity prices topped EUR 110/MWh on LNG supply threats -- a reminder that fossil exposure remains structurally present.

Why it mattersA renewable source surpassing gas in the EU for two consecutive months is the milestone promised for 2030, arrived four years early. The simultaneous gas price spike illustrates both why it matters and why it is not yet sufficient.
09 canarymedia.com↗

Idemitsu plans 864 MWh vanadium flow battery at decommissioned Australian coal mine

Japanese energy company Idemitsu submitted plans for a 108 MW / 864 MWh vanadium redox flow battery at the decommissioned Muswellbrook coal mine in New South Wales, targeting 2028 construction. It would be one of the largest non-lithium grid storage deployments in the southern hemisphere.

Why it mattersA coal mine site converting to long-duration vanadium storage validates both the end-of-life fossil infrastructure opportunity and the commercial viability of non-lithium chemistries at a scale that grid operators can plan around.
10 pv-magazine.com↗
02 / Also

Worth knowing

11
China's 150 GW battery fleet pivots from installed capacity to actual dispatch
Ember analysis finds China's grid storage fleet has shifted from capacity added under co-location mandates to revenue-generating market participation, with utilisation hours rising sharply.
pv-magazine.com ↗
California grid batteries left $98M in revenue on the table from bad bidding
A Gridmatic analysis of CAISO market data found battery operators forfeited roughly $98 million through suboptimal bidding strategies.
energy-storage.news ↗
Eos Energy wins DoD Golden Dome storage contract for zinc-hybrid batteries
Zinc-hybrid-cathode battery maker Eos Energy secured a strategic partnership with the US Department of Defense for Golden Dome national defence infrastructure.
energy-storage.news ↗
China sets binding solid-state battery standard; Dongfeng shows 350 Wh/kg cells
China's new national standard eliminates vague 'semi-solid' labeling and requires factory-ready manufacturing evidence.
cnevpost.com ↗
Australia added 9.1 GW of new generation and storage in FY2026
Australia's grid connected 9.1 GW in fiscal year 2026 with grid-scale batteries accounting for the majority.
energy-storage.news ↗
India awards 1,344 MW of long-duration storage including its first utility-scale flow battery
India awarded long-duration contracts covering pumped hydro and its first commercial vanadium flow battery project.
energy-storage.news ↗
Renewables exceeded 30% of US electricity in the first five months of 2026
EIA data shows renewable generation surpassed 30% of total US electricity from January through May, with solar and battery storage additions accounting for more than 90% of new capacity.
cleantechnica.com ↗
EU Electrification Action Plan reaffirms 200 GW storage target by 2030
The European Commission formally confirmed 200 GW of energy storage across member states by 2030, with detail on demand flexibility and grid investment priorities.
energy-storage.news ↗
Lazard 2026: unsubsidized clean energy still cheapest across most categories
Lazard's annual LCOE analysis confirms unsubsidized utility-scale solar and onshore wind remain cheaper than new gas and coal.
canarymedia.com ↗
Wartsila completes 1,038 battery unit delivery for 1.4 GWh Wooreen BESS in Australia
All hardware for the 350 MW / 1,400 MWh Wooreen facility in Victoria has been delivered and installed.
energy-storage.news ↗
Pentagon blocks 155 onshore wind projects over drone radar; 18 states sue
The DoD froze permitting for more than 155 wind projects citing drone radar interference; eighteen state attorneys general filed suit.
canarymedia.com ↗
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The Archive

#008The Buildout Gets a Billion and a Record#007New chemistries, old frictions#006Solid-State Clears QA, Sodium Breaks Ground#005Chemistry class#004American LFP, European mandates, and the tax credit cliff#003The sodium clock starts ticking#002The Chemistry Turns#001The Month Solar Passed Coal
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