Renewable Energy Storage Market Has Left the Station
Last week, I attended the Energy Storage Summit in Dallas, meeting with companies across the renewable energy storage value chain. I wanted to get a real-time gut check on how business is going. Not from headlines or earnings reports, but from direct conversations with the people building and selling the technologies that will shape the grid’s future.
We’ve all seen the stats about record renewable deployment surging year after year. Just last week, the International Renewable Energy Agency reported that 585 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity were added worldwide in 2024, accounting for more than 90% of total power expansion last year. But in the U.S., we are also watching the rollback of climate policies and daunting tariff threats.
Regardless of these headwinds, what I found in Dallas was a sector pressing forward with quiet confidence, even in the face of uncertain policy signals.
A Market That’s Staying the Course
Walking into the summit, I expected more anxiety from an industry staring down policy rollbacks and tariff threats. Surprisingly, nearly every conversation I had told a different story. I spoke 1:1 with close to 20 company representatives—many were senior executives and quite a few were in marketing or sales—and the vast majority of them were upbeat about market prospects. As many explained, if we had faced these same headwinds 10 or 15 years ago, the impact would have likely stalled or even completely desecrated the market. But over the past five years, the demand has been explosive, driven by plummeting technology costs and major load demand from AI datacenters coming online. In short, new technologies are now undercutting legacy energy asset pricing, and too much investment is already in motion for momentum to stop.
The Grid Can’t Wait
That urgency is fueling the market’s forward motion. I heard it over and over again: more electrons are needed now, period. All forms of energy are necessary, and the cheaper and faster a source is to deploy, the more likely it is to get built.
The mood wasn’t dismissive of policy risk. Many attendees admitted the tariffs are a concern, but most saw them as a challenge they have faced before in one form or another. For the companies in the room, the question wasn’t whether to move forward, it was how to move fast enough to meet surging demand.
Learning from the Last Cycle
As conversations turned to how companies are preparing for potential tariffs, several people pointed to past experience as proof that the industry can adapt. Dan Finn-Foley, an analyst with Clean Energy Associates (CEA), offered a useful comparison. During President Trump’s first time in office, tariffs on solar components created an incredible roller coaster. The industry’s response? Supply chains were quickly revamped, with much of the manufacturing moving to Mexico and Vietnam. The companies that endured the first run are well equipped to do it again.
Off the Record, Still in Motion
And now, as another wave of regulatory adversity approaches, the same logic applies. Companies that don’t take calculated risks or make the right calls will suffer or be outcompeted, which happens in every type of market cycle, no matter the source of pressure.
There’s no question that obstacles loom ahead. Most of the companies I spoke with aren’t publicly communicating their viewpoints right now, and in this kind of policy environment, that’s a strategic choice. But behind closed doors, the sentiment was clear: the market is ready for whatever comes its way, and demand for new energy technologies will not slow down.
Still, in a moment shaped by noise, uncertainty, and shifting narratives, the companies that know how to communicate clearly will be the ones that stand out. Silence may feel safe now, but it won’t build long-term confidence. The market rewards companies that can show what they’re doing and why it matters.
Calm Before the Storm
Finn-Foley put it this way: if tariffs and sweeping renewable energy policy changes are an approaching hurricane, the energy storage sector is concerned—but right now it’s still out back grilling ribs outside before the storm hits. They know there will be damage, though no one knows exactly where. But there’s also a confidence that they can ride out the storm and business demand will continue.
That quiet confidence comes from experience. It also creates an opportunity. The companies that can explain what they’re doing and why, clearly and honestly and on their own terms, will be the ones others look to when the pressure hits. In Dallas, it was clear that many are already thinking about how they’ll show up when the time is right. It’s the kind of moment we watch closely, because it usually signals what comes next.