Battery Energy Storage Transformation

Breakthroughs in battery technology are transforming the global energy landscape, fueling the transition to clean energy and reshaping industries from transportation to utilities. With demand for energy storage soaring, what's next for batteries—and how can businesses, policymakers, and investors keep pace?

Developments in batteries and other energy storage technology have accelerated to a seemingly head-spinning pace recently — even for the scientists, investors, and business leaders at the forefront of the industry. After all, just two decades ago, batteries were widely believed to be destined for use only in small objects like laptops and watches.

The ever-increasing demand for electricity can be met while balancing supply changes with the use of robust energy storage devices. Battery storage can help with frequency stability and control for short-term needs, and they can help with energy management or reserves for long-term needs.

While lithium-ion batteries have dominated the energy storage landscape, there is a growing interest in exploring alternative battery technologies that offer improved performance, safety, and sustainability .

In this Review, we describe BESTs being developed for grid-scale energy storage, including high-energy, aqueous, redox flow, high-temperature and gas batteries. Battery technologies support various power system services, including providing grid support services and preventing curtailment.

The rise in renewable energy utilization is increasing demand for battery energy-storage technologies (BESTs). BESTs based on lithium-ion batteries are being developed and deployed. However, this technology alone does not meet all the requirements for grid-scale energy storage.