TL/DR –
Eleven standalone battery energy-storage system (BESS) projects are slated to break ground across the U.S. in September, representing a combined investment of $3.28 billion and 2,236 MW of capacity. The rise of standalone BESS is attributed to several enabling factors, including a 93% fall in battery costs since 2010 and the addition of tax credits for BESS in 2022. Texas is set to host the largest of these projects, the 1,043-MW Zeus Armstrong BESS, with California and New Mexico hosting multiple smaller projects.
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US Sees Surge in Battery Energy Storage Systems
Eleven individual BESS projects are expected to commence across the US this September, accounting for a total investment of $3.28 billion and a capacity of 2,236 MW.
Power Generation Projects in the US
There are about sixty power generation projects scheduled to start in September across the US, with an estimated investment value of $16.8 billion and approximately 18,083 MW of capacity spread across 10 fuel categories. Among all power plant types, standalone battery energy-storage systems (BESS) ranks third in terms of the total investment for this month, trailing only solar in the number of projects. BESS plants, which were rarely built a decade ago, are now seeing rapid market growth.
As per data from Industrial Info Resources, the eleven BESS projects slated to commence this September represent $3.28 billion in combined investment and a cumulative capacity of 2,236 MW.
Further details about all types of power plants can be found in this overview article by IIR Energy. There are also dedicated articles focusing on solar and natural gas.
Factors Behind the BESS Market Growth
Multiple factors are driving the success of BESS. Notably, the cost of batteries has fallen significantly, making these plants more affordable to construct. The annual Lithium-Ion Battery Price Survey by BloombergNEF indicates that overall, battery pack prices have dropped by 93% since 2010, from about $1,436 to $1,474 per kWh to $108 per kWh in 2025.
Policy changes have also played a significant role in this growth. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act was the first to include tax credits for standalone BESS, which were previously only available for systems co-located with solar energy. Following the 2024 US elections, when a second Trump Administration came into power and the Republican party gained full control of Congress, tax credits for wind and solar were phased out, leaving the credits for BESS intact.
Closer Look at the BESS Projects
The largest of these projects, the 1,043-MW Zeus Armstrong BESS, is located in Texas. California and New Mexico are each hosting multiple smaller projects, while Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan each have one project. Consistent with battery storage being a relatively newer technology at the utility scale, all eleven projects are new constructions, with no refurbishment or life-extension activity in this category.
Nonutility entities, similar to solar, heavily lean towards ownership, with nine out of the eleven projects, which represent $2.91 billion, being developed by nonutility/IPP entities. Only two projects are owned by utilities, both of which belong to Xcel Energy.
Notable BESS Projects
There are several significant projects and ownership or off-take structures to note.
At 1,043 MW and $1.57 billion, the Zeus Armstrong BESS Unit Addition in Claude, Texas, is the largest battery-storage project in the September pipeline and the largest planned standalone battery project in Texas overall.
The Becker Sherco BESS (Clear Lake Township, MN) and Shakopee Blue Lake BESS (Shakopee, MN) projects, collectively worth $549 million, are both part of Xcel Energy’s clean-energy transition plan.
For the full list of all projects and generation sources for September, see this data compilation.
Key Points
- Standalone battery energy storage (BESS) ranks third among power plant types this month for total investment level.
- Eleven standalone BESS projects are scheduled to break ground across the U.S. in September, representing $3.28 billion in combined investment and 2,236 MW of capacity.
- The reason for BESS’s success is driven by multiple enabling factors: Costs have fallen 93% since 2010. Tax credits for BESS were added in 2022. When wind and solar tax credits were phased out by Congress in 2025, the credits for BESS were left intact.
- Texas hosts the single-largest project (the 1,043-MW Zeus Armstrong BESS), while California and New Mexico each host multiple smaller projects. Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan each have one project.
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