Battery capacity is going through the roof – with Carolina Cruz and Pete Tillotson

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) is becoming a critical component of the global energy transition, enabling renewable energy to function as reliable baseload power. Lithium-ion technology currently dominates this space due to rapid cost reductions, improved performance, and established bankability, with projects now reaching 8-to-10-hour durations. While lithium-ion leads, other technologies like compressed air, thermal storage, and flow batteries remain essential for diversifying the grid and managing multi-day supply gaps. In Europe, however, significant barriers persist, including lengthy permitting processes, double taxation, and market designs that fail to incentivize long-duration flexibility. Addressing these challenges requires updated regulatory frameworks, such as fast-tracked permitting and reformed capacity markets, to reduce system balancing costs and mitigate the volatility caused by intermittent wind and solar generation.