Battery storage continued its rapid growth across the U.S. during the first quarter of 2026, helping offset a slower start for solar and wind development and reinforcing its increasingly important role in grid operations.
According to the American Clean Power Association’s Q1 2026 Clean Power Quarterly Market Report, developers brought 6.4 GW of new clean power capacity online during the quarter, including utility-scale solar, battery storage, and land-based wind projects. While total installations were down 17% compared to the same period in 2025, battery storage posted its strongest first quarter on record.
Developers commissioned 2.4 GW of new battery storage capacity during the quarter, a 48% increase over the previous first-quarter record set in 2025. Storage accounted for more than one-third of all new clean power capacity added in the first three months of the year.
The milestone comes as utilities, grid operators, and developers increasingly look to storage to help manage growing electricity demand, integrate new generation resources, and provide operational flexibility during periods of grid stress.
By the end of March, the U.S. had nearly 48 GW of operational battery storage capacity, while another 53.8 GW was in development, representing a 17% increase in the storage pipeline compared to the previous quarter.
Texas continues to lead
Texas remained the nation's largest market for clean power deployment during the quarter, adding 1.6 GW of new capacity and accounting for roughly one-quarter of all U.S. clean power additions. The state also surpassed California in total operational battery storage capacity, giving Texas the largest operating portfolio of wind, solar, and storage projects in the country.
The Lone Star State now hosts more than 96 GW of operating clean power capacity and more than 34 GW of projects in development. ACP reported that Texas also leads the nation in clean power capacity under construction, with more than 21 GW currently being built.
Nationally, cumulative clean power capacity reached 370 GW by the end of the quarter, enough to power nearly 80 million homes, according to ACP. Utility-scale solar became the largest operating clean power technology in the country, reaching 161.1 GW and narrowly surpassing land-based wind at 160.9 GW.
Development pipeline reaches new high
Despite policy uncertainty and ongoing market challenges, developers continue to advance new projects.
ACP reported that the clean power development pipeline grew to a record 195 GW of projects either under construction or in advanced development. Utility-scale solar remains the largest segment of that pipeline at 103.4 GW, followed by battery storage at 53.8 GW and land-based wind at 28.5 GW.
Solar projects are now in development in every state and Puerto Rico, while storage continues to gain market share across nearly every region of the country.
Corporate and utility procurement also remained active. ACP tracked 12.8 GW of clean power offtake announcements during the quarter, including 10.4 GW through power purchase agreements. Google accounted for 3.7 GW of corporate procurement announcements, while Xcel Energy led utility buyers with nearly 3 GW of contracted projects.
Delays remain a persistent challenge
At the same time, ACP's data highlights the scale of development challenges facing new energy infrastructure.
More than 6.4 GW of projects originally expected to enter service during the first quarter were delayed, pushing the industry's cumulative backlog of delayed projects to nearly 60 GW. ACP identified 545 projects currently experiencing delays, with projects stalled for an average of 21 months.
According to the report, developers continue to cite lengthy permitting processes, interconnection queue bottlenecks, and equipment cost volatility as leading causes of delays.
The contrast between a record development pipeline and a growing backlog of delayed projects reflects a challenge increasingly familiar across the energy sector: Demand for new generation and storage remains strong, but getting projects built and connected to the grid continues to be one of the industry's biggest obstacles.
