The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has set an ambitious goal for the future of U.S. energy storage, aiming to deploy 10 million distributed storage installations and achieve 700 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of total installed capacity by 2030.
These targets are outlined in a new whitepaper that highlights the economic and energy security benefits of a strong storage sector. The report provides key policy recommendations to expand storage markets, build financial support, strengthen the domestic supply chain, and advance long-duration storage technology. “Expanding energy storage capacity is a crucial means of ensuring our nation’s energy security and resilience,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “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.”
Alongside the whitepaper, SEIA is releasing a 50-state guide to energy storage policies. With only 83 GWh of installed capacity today and projections falling short of the nation’s energy needs, SEIA is urging policymakers to accelerate storage deployment. “The U.S. storage market is at an inflection point, but with the mix of policy support and private, state and federal collaboration, we can achieve SEIA’s storage targets while creating jobs and ensuring reliable, around the clock power for every home and business in this county,” said Joan White, SEIA’s director of storage and interconnection.
The whitepaper calls on federal, state, and regional entities to:
Preserve the federal tax credit for standalone storage
Ensure fair grid access and compensation for storage services
Reform interconnection processes to reflect storage flexibility
Establish affordable retail rates for storage charging
Support domestic manufacturing with trade policies and streamlined permitting
Implement state-level procurement programs
Invest in low-income communities disproportionately affected by extreme weather and poor air quality
Advance long-duration storage development
With decisive action, SEIA envisions a future where energy storage plays a critical role in strengthening grid reliability, enhancing energy security, and supporting the clean energy transition.
