“Storage Was Never Just an Add-On”

What if we’ve been thinking too small about batteries?

In this rebroadcast from RE+, Kiran Kumaraswamy, former VP of Growth at Fluence, makes a bold case for reimagining energy storage—not just as a renewable add-on, but as a foundational tool for grid transformation. Kiran breaks down how the energy storage sector evolved from supporting solar to replacing gas peakers, enhancing transmission, and becoming central to resiliency planning. Long before the IRA supercharged the market, he was urging utilities and regulators to rethink what batteries could do—and now, we’re seeing those ideas implemented at scale.

From the Inflation Reduction Act’s massive market tailwinds to the rise of virtual transmission, this conversation is loaded with strategy, foresight, and tactical insight for storage developers, grid planners, and policy leaders alike.

Expect to learn:

🔹 Why peaker replacement was the battery industry’s first killer app

🔹 How Fluence is positioning storage as critical transmission infrastructure

🔹 What the IRA’s standalone ITC means for decoupling storage from solar

🔹 How domestic manufacturing and supply diversification are shaping the next phase of growth

For more conversations like this, be sure to come visit us at the PowerUp Live Stage next week at RE+ in Las Vegas!

Whether you’re deep in the weeds of development or just curious about the future of grid reliability, this is one of those “listen again” episodes.

Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3

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And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.

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You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

851: Batteries vs. Peakers: [Revisiting] How Fluence Is Redefining the Grid

SunCast

851: Batteries vs. Peakers: [Revisiting] How Fluence Is Redefining the Grid