Global battery storage capacity surges in US and India

The United States and India are experiencing significant expansions in utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS).

In the United States, capacity reached nearly 52 gigawatts (GW) by the end of June 2026, following three years of average annual growth of 70 percent. An additional 54 GW of capacity is currently on order through 2028, which could push total national capacity past 105 GW. In Texas, SMT Energy and FlexGen recently commenced operations at the 160 MW/320 MWh SMT Houston IV facility to support the ERCOT grid.

In India, the storage sector saw a massive surge in the first half of 2026, adding 8.2 GWh of capacity compared to just 98.4 MWh during the same period in the previous year. Standalone battery storage accounted for nearly 98 percent of quarterly additions. Rajasthan leads the country in cumulative installed capacity with a 36 percent share, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra. While installations have spiked, a gap remains between storage tenders and actual auctions due to volatile battery prices.