The U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA) today issued an expanded vision for energy storage: 100×30: Enabling the Clean Power Transformation. Informed by developments in the energy storage and clean energy markets and extrapolating upon ESA’s 2017 vision document (35×25: A Vision for Energy Storage), this white paper charts a path for the industry to deploy 100 GW of new storage across the United States in the next decade.

“The U.S. power sector is in the midst of transformation to a cleaner, more modern infrastructure,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of ESA. “With the right policies and regulatory frameworks in place, we believe that achieving 100 GW of new storage installations by 2030 is entirely reasonable and attainable. Current market projections indicate remarkable growth for energy storage over the next decade, and its role is expanding to maintain and enhance the reliability, resilience, stability and affordability of electricity over the coming decade.”

The 100×30 paper depicts a path to 100 GW of new energy storage in the next decade, based on an extrapolation of the original 35×25 report, experts’ projections, and the impact of the accelerating clean energy transformation of the U.S. electricity grid. Technologies in the 100 GW of new energy storage include batteries, thermal, mechanical and pumped storage hydro. ESA estimates that 100 GW of storage deployment by 2030 would produce 200,000 jobs, roughly a threefold increase from current levels.

To reach the goal of 100 GW of new energy storage by 2030, the report outlines a combination of strengthened policy support, such as the investment tax credit (ITC) for stand-alone storage facilities, as well as the continuation of emerging policies that remove barriers to market participation. The combination of a supportive policy framework and a vibrant clean energy economy will drive energy storage growth and set a trajectory for 100 GW of new storage, keeping the power system reliable, resilient and affordable.