Drawing on insights from PowerGen 2026 Renewable Energy Services Lead Heather Patti reflects on the evolution of battery energy storage. Rising, always-on load is tightening reliability expectations and battery storage is moving from an “add-on” to foundational grid infrastructure, shaping the next generation of projects for utilities, energy developers and grid stakeholders.
Key takeaways
- Speed is a primary advantage: battery energy storage systems (BESS) can respond in tens of milliseconds, supporting grid stability during rapid load and frequency events
- Short-duration BESS solves the daily operating problem: four-hour-class systems support intraday variability, peak shaving and routine grid services
- Longer-duration systems extend coverage when conditions stretch: the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) defines long-duration storage as 10+ hours, enabling longer reliability support and resilience through extended supply gaps
Rising demand is reshaping power generation priorities
Power generation is facing escalating pressure as load grows and performance expectations rise. Data centers, electrification and extreme weather are converging on the same outcome: around-the-clock availability is becoming a baseline requirement. That reality surfaced repeatedly at PowerGen 2026, where reliability, resilience and speed to delivery emerged as defining constraints for the next wave of projects.
Why BESS has become foundational to the grid
BESS now functions as the grid’s flexibility layer, balancing supply and demand faster than conventional generation can ramp.
Short-duration BESS can charge and discharge in fractions of a second, which makes it well suited for intraday variability, sudden load spikes and routine grid services. For many systems, four-hour-class storage solves the daily operating problem by supporting peak shaving and day-to-day reliability.
Longer-duration storage extends that capability, storing excess energy during high production periods and releasing it when generation drops or demand peaks. As that need grows, storage is moving from fast-response support into a broader planning and resilience function.
Storage duration shapes reliability value
Several drivers are converging:
- Reliability and resilience: storage provides fast-response support that traditional generation alone cannot match
- Data centers and other continuous-load users: operations require immediate response to disruptions and increasingly value on-site and grid-supporting storage
- Deployability and flexibility: modular systems can be scaled, configured, and co-located with renewables, gas and existing infrastructure
Policy signals continue to reinforce storage’s role. Many states have adopted formal targets and related procurement frameworks, and the U.S.'s Clean Energy States Alliance tracks state energy storage targets.
Long-duration storage is expanding the grid’s options
Long-duration energy storage is generally discussed as systems capable of 10+ hours of discharge. That category is gaining attention for its ability to support grid flexibility through longer events, including extended outages, prolonged low renewable output, or sustained demand peaks.
PowerGen discussions reflected growing activity across electrochemical, thermal, and mechanical pathways, along with a shared message: scaling long-duration systems depends on collaboration across utilities, technology providers, regulators, and delivery partners to align safety, permitting, and operational expectations.
Regional context still determines what works
PowerGen reinforced that BESS is not one-size-fits-all. Interconnection requirements, market structures, climate, load shape, and incentives vary widely. A system optimized for the ERCOT market may not perform or monetize the same way in the PJM territory.
Co-development reduces risk and compresses timelines
Storage performs best when it is planned alongside generation and interconnection, not bolted on late. Co-developing short- and long-duration systems, or pairing storage with renewables and conventional assets can shorten timelines and create more resilient operating profiles.
Beyond the US: how Onterris supports real-world delivery
In Queensland, Australia, Onterris supported the Darling Downs BESS project for Origin Energy by completing ecological surveys and impact assessments aligned with Commonwealth environmental legislation. The approximately 40-acre site includes an open-air BESS facility connected to an existing substation by a 275-kilovolt transmission line. By identifying ecological considerations early and integrating them into site planning, the team helped reduce approval risk for a strategic storage asset.
In Alberta, Canada, Onterris supported site selection and permitting for Jurassic Solar + BESS near Iddesleigh, a 220-megawatt solar facility paired with an 80 megawatt / 160 megawatt-hour battery system. Work included baseline field surveys across wildlife, vegetation and wetlands, including sensitive species considerations. Onterris prepared the Renewable Energy Project Submission and environmental components for regulatory applications, helping keep development aligned with schedule needs.
What decision-makers should do now
- Define the operating need clearly, whether that is peak shaving, backup power, load shifting or grid services
- Match duration to risk, using short-duration systems for daily operations and longer-duration systems where where 10+ hours of discharge drives reliability value
- Plan storage with the asset, integrating safety, controls, interconnection and permitting early
- Build the delivery chain early, because long-term performance depends on disciplined design, approvals and execution