U.S. energy storage sector hits record numbers in first quarter of 2026
The battery storage sector is having a record year, with installations up 32 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same time period in 2025.
Utility-scale storage accounted for 7.8 GWh of this year's installations, with commercial and industrial behind that at 648 MWh, and finally 515 MWh for residential storage.
The recent growth in solar and storage is occurring primarily in traditional "red" states. Seventy-one percent of the utility-scale storage installations were built in states President Trump won in 2024. Texas, Arizona, and California accounted for the largest share of current installations, with Georgia, Iowa, and Mississippi also posting impressive figures.
Pilot projects to prove iron-sodium battery technology
California-based battery startup Inlyte Energy is preparing to deploy its sodium-iron battery technology in two major pilot programs in 2026, aiming to prove the systems' viability as a safe, long-duration backup power source.
The company is specifically targeting the rapidly growing data center market, positioning its technology as an alternative to fossil fuel generators and conventional lithium-ion batteries.
By the end of this year the company plans to commission a 600 kWh pilot installation with Swiss data center operator NTS Co-location at a facility in Bern, Switzerland
If the initial installation is successful, the partners plan to deploy up to 2 MW of iron-sodium battery capacity across their facilities by 2028.
It is a common practice for data centers to employ diesel generators and other on-site fossil fuel-based backup generation during prolonged outages, rather than rely on short-duration lithium-based energy storage.
However, the diesel generators and gas turbines produce carbon emissions and noise pollution, and require on-site fuel storage.
Replacing diesel generators is something that a lot of data center companies want to do, according to Inlyte Energy, noting that Microsoft has even made a pledge to stop using fossil-fuel backup generators by 2030.
Commercial electricity use will likely surpass residential in 2027
Commercial electricity consumption is likely to surpass residential use for the first time on record in 2027, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported last week.
The commercial sector, which includes data centers, bitcoin miners and cloud computing, is expected to see electricity use grow to about 1,530 billion kWh in 2026 — matching the current electric use in the residential sector.
Demand from the residential sector, which has historically accounted for the largest share of U.S. electricity use, will remain largely flat over the next two years, projected to grow about 0.5 percent in 2026 and 2027.
Meanwhile, U.S. electricity prices continue to rise amid growing demand, particularly from the commercial sector.
Residential customers will pay an average of 18.2 cents/kWh in 2026, about a 5 percent increase from 2025.
Prices vary widely across the nation. Areas along the East coast will experience the largest growth in residential prices, with average annual increases as high as 7 percent each of the next two years, according to EIA.
Cost-cutting sparks record wave of spontaneous glass breakage
Widespread instances of cracks in PV module glass started appearing about five years ago. Spontaneous glass breakage is now one of the solar industry's top issues, largely caused by manufacturing pressures and a lack of standards.
Since about 2021, scientists, operators, and testing labs have been seeing glass breakage on solar modules with no apparent cause, such as impacts or extreme weather. Known as "spontaneous glass breakages" panels simply crack or shatter without warning.
In an effort to supply the market with ever larger and cheaper solar panels, manufacturers have thinned the glass, frames, and encapsulant and gone to more aggressive mounting. The less robust material often cannot stand up to even routine handling of the panel.
With glass on both sides of the panel representing more than half of a module's weight, manufacturers found room to cut costs by reducing its thickness. While previous PV module generations generally had 3.2 mm thick glass, current modules usually install glass that is only 2.0 mm in thickness.
There is currently no PV glass specific standard, meaning glass manufacturers and module manufacturers are not reporting their glass properties in any meaningful way.
U.S. House wants to tax EV $130/year
The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a $130 annual fee on electric vehicles (EVs), $35 on plug-in hybrids, and nothing on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The fee would take effect Oct. 1, 2026, and expire in 2036. Starting in 2029, the fee would increase $5 every two years, capping at $150 for EVs and $50 for hybrids.
There are about six million EVs registered in the U.S. In year one, the new tax would raise roughly $780 million. Proponents claim the tax will help offset the expense of maintaining the nation's highway infrastructure.
The Federal Highway Administration has taxed gasoline at $0.184/gallon and diesel at $0.244/gallon since 1993. The gas tax raises approximately $26 billion annually. It should be noted, however, that the Trump administration is currently suggesting suspending the gas tax as gas prices climb, driven by the war in the Middle East.