The Energy Storage Revolution
“Electricity is the only commodity on earth that has to be produced and consumed simultaneously…Energy storage for the very first time in history allows us to store electrons and then release them back onto the grid when we need them.”
Joan White, Senior Director of Storage & Interconnection
Energy storage is growing segment of America’s energy makeup and a critical aspect of SEIA’s footprint. Storage is especially well-suited to pair with solar: the fastest and most cost-effective energy generation technology on the market. This episode of Good Energy features SEIA’s storage experts, Joan White and Emily Burlinghaus, discussing the literal power of energy storage and SEIA’s growing efforts in the sector.
Before the invention of battery storage, White explains that electricity was the only commodity that had to be simultaneously produced and consumed at the same time. This created challenges for grid operators trying to properly balance supply and demand. With batteries, electrons are able to dispatch when needed, which effectively lowers power demands during peak periods of the day.
Three primary segments of energy storage exist: large utility-scale installations, middle-market installations that provide the grid with localized reliability, and residential storage that keeps lights on during outages and can aggregate with other nearby residential batteries to provide grid-level services.
Burlinghaus explains that roughly 80% of batteries online today are lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries. After they are mined, the minerals go through processing and integration into battery cells. Over the past five years, an influx of mining and battery production on U.S. soil and in allied countries has occurred.
SEIA recently hosted its Energy Storage Policy Forum on Capitol Hill to educate legislative staff on everything from the basics of storage to deeper topics like virtual power plants (VPPs), long-duration energy storage, and manufacturing. The event gave SEIA members and prospective members access to national policymakers, with over 43 Congressional staffers registered to attend. White additionally mentions interest from those in the room on the use cases of storage to secure energy supply on military bases.
Over the past year, Joan White conducted a listening tour with SEIA members to learn more about their priorities for storage, and she predicts a growth in storage over the coming years. White particularly highlights the stories of storage in California and Texas, two states with very different policy makeups, but both are seeing large deployments of batteries. Other states such as Illinois and Virginia are looking to pro-storage policies to help meet their growing demands as well.
White explains that the infrastructure on the electric grid is built to handle the moments of peak demand. Energy storage helps lower this peak demand by deploying the extra electrons that were generated at low-demand times. This delivers savings by reducing the need for backup generators and excess poles and wires.
Looking to the future, Burlinghaus is excited to see storage’s growth, and many SEIA members are looking to invest in both LFP and other battery chemistries. She additionally notes efforts in Washington to secure supplies of critical minerals, with the biggest investments needed from the U.S. being in domestic midstream processing of minerals, especially lithium. Notably, a number of automakers, who have worked on securing mineral supply chains for electric vehicle batteries, are now pivoting to producing stationary storage as well.
White mentions recent developments in safety standards developed for energy storage systems, particularly in containing fires. She recommends that policymakers look to the National Fire Protection Association for leading information on storage safety and communicate the truth to their constituents about how safe these systems are for local communities.
Closing out the episode, White tells listeners to look out for storage developments in 2026 in Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, and New York. These states saw new policy developments that will open market opportunities for the storage industry to deliver more affordable, reliable power to its residents.
From in-depth interviews with industry leaders to insightful discussions on the rapid growth of solar and storage in the United States, Good Energy connects you with the heartbeat of the solar industry. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious about the future of energy, tune in to stay informed and inspired about the bright future of solar. Listen to full episodes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
special guest
Senior Director, Storage & Interconnection Policy
SEIA
Joan White is the Senior Director of Storage and Interconnection Policy. She advances the rapid deployment of storage and solar through advocacy and as an expert witness in state and federal proceedings. Prior to joining SEIA, Joan served as a Hearing Officer and Senior Analyst with the Vermont Public Utility Commission and the Vermont state energy office. She holds a Masters of Environmental Law and Policy, summa cum laude, and a Certificate in Energy Law from Vermont Law School and a Masters of Science in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont. She lives with her two sons in Montpelier where she enjoys hiking, back-country skiing, and paddling.
Director, Energy Storage Manufacturing & Supply Chain
SEIA
Emily Burlinghaus is the director of energy storage manufacturing and supply chain at SEIA. She comes to SEIA with a background in energy and climate policy. Most recently, she served as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Defense, where she operated at the intersection of climate, energy, and national security. In her previous roles at Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, she evaluated and disseminated the benefits of clean energy tax credits, policies driving clean technology innovation, and multilateral efforts to advance energy security.
She has lived and worked in Europe and the Middle East – including as a German Chancellor Fellow researching policy and regulatory frameworks to advance the EV battery supply chain sustainability – and as a program officer at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. She holds a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from New York University and an M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins.
She lives in Washington, DC where she enjoys experiencing the local food scene, taking advantage of public transit to explore the region, and walking her coonhound Manny in Rock Creek Park.
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