Solar and batteries reshape power systems globally
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Across the world, battery technology and solar power are changing how electricity systems operate, offering low-cost power at any time of day.
A decade ago, battery storage had a limited role in the electric industry, but it now helps overcome the challenges of intermittent renewable energy sources like solar. Grid managers increasingly prioritize matching electricity supply with demand using the least expensive generation available, and batteries allow them to do this more effectively.
Historically, some officials favored “baseload” power from sources like nuclear, coal, and gas, arguing solar and wind were unreliable. However, these sources can be costly, especially nuclear which must run constantly, and gas which can be affected by extreme weather. Batteries now provide an alternative, enabling utilities to store solar power and use it during peak demand or at night.
This shift is particularly impactful in developing countries, where traditional fossil fuel infrastructure has proven difficult to implement due to high costs and limited resources. The British energy think tank Ember reports that solar power is now competitive with fossil fuels on a capital expenditure basis, and solar-plus-storage is expected to be cheaper to build than new fossil alternatives by 2035.
In the United States, energy storage capacity nearly doubled in the first 18 months of the previous administration, and a record 20.2 gigawatt-hours of new capacity came online in the second quarter of 2026, with over 74% of this built in states won by Donald Trump.
