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A dataset from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) indicates the annual U.S. grid battery failure rate fell by more than 97% between 2016 and 2025, while cumulative deployments increased 250-fold. The findings suggest failures have become less frequent as installations grew, but the dataset is small and does not measure the severity of each event.
The annual failure rate for U.S. grid-scale batteries fell by more than 97% from 2016 to 2025, even as cumulative installations grew 250-fold, according to an analysis of Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) data reported by Canary Media. The figures point to a decline in recorded failures as the storage technology expands, though they do not show how severe individual incidents were.
EPRI’s report tracks reported failures of commercial and grid-scale battery systems, including fires, explosions and arc-flash events. Canary Media compared the report’s failure data with U.S. deployment figures from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The resulting comparison shows the annual failure rate dropping substantially over the period, while cumulative installations rose sharply.
The annual rate was zero in three separate years in the dataset because no known failures were recorded in those years. That does not mean batteries cannot fail; it reflects the incidents reported and captured in the data. EPRI lead author Lakshmi Srinivasan cautioned that the small number of failures makes the dataset difficult to analyze robustly.
The tally also treats incidents as failures without fully conveying their scale or consequences. A 2019 battery fire outside Phoenix sent four emergency responders to hospital with serious injuries, according to the report. In January 2025, a fire at California’s Moss Landing facility largely destroyed the power plant and prompted a multi-day evacuation of the surrounding community; no injuries were reported there.
Falling Failures, Persistent Local Scrutiny
The results address a central concern for communities weighing proposed battery projects: whether the systems pose an unacceptable fire risk. Canary Media reported that EPRI’s comparison puts grid battery unit failures at a rate comparable to failures in oil-filled substation transformers, equipment long used to change voltage on the grid. That comparison offers a reference point, but it does not establish that the consequences of failures are identical.
Fire incidents can have effects beyond equipment damage, including injuries and evacuation, as the Phoenix and Moss Landing cases illustrate. At the same time, storage projects can provide grid reliability, local tax revenue and potential downward pressure on electricity costs. Better-calibrated risk information may help residents and local officials weigh those possible benefits against the risks and the uncertainty in the available data.
Public attention is not necessarily proportional to the frequency of failures. Srinivasan told Canary Media that battery projects receive scrutiny she does not see for transformers or substation construction. The reported decline therefore speaks to recorded failure frequency, not to whether communities will accept new facilities or whether every safety concern has been resolved.
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Safety Changes as Deployment Grew
Grid batteries have become a leading choice for adding on-demand power capacity in the United States. As projects have expanded, concerns about fires have become a point of opposition or delay in some communities. Fires have occurred, and the report notes that conventional firefighting methods can be difficult to use against battery incidents.
The decline in the rate coincided with changes in the industry. Canary Media’s account of the EPRI report says new safety standards took effect after the first large battery installations, while battery systems and project layouts became more sophisticated. The data show the trend, but do not isolate the effect of any one standard or design change.
The report also includes international failures, where regulations and safety requirements differ. For its U.S.-focused comparison, Canary Media used domestic installation data alongside EPRI’s failure records. That distinction matters: the reported U.S. trend should not be read as a uniform global rate, or as proof that every project faces the same conditions.
What the Failure Data Cannot Show
The figures are based on a small number of recorded failures, and the dataset does not provide a robust basis for analyzing changes in risk across every type of project. A year with no known incident is not evidence that the underlying risk is zero. The data also do not capture the size and severity of each event in the headline failure tally.
The comparison with transformers is about failure rates, as described by EPRI; it does not mean the equipment has the same failure modes or consequences. The source material does not provide enough detail here to assess how reporting practices, battery chemistry, project design or local conditions may affect the figures. It also does not establish which safety changes caused the decline.
How Communities May Use the Findings
The report’s data may inform discussions among local officials, residents, utilities and developers considering new storage sites. Communities will still need project-specific information, including the facility’s design, safety measures and emergency response planning; a national trend cannot determine the risks at an individual site.
Further reporting and data collection could clarify whether the decline continues as installations grow and help distinguish incident frequency from incident severity. For now, the reported figures show a substantial fall in the U.S. annual failure rate through 2025, while the small sample and high-profile fires leave key questions open.
Key Questions
How much did the U.S. grid battery failure rate fall?
Canary Media’s analysis of EPRI data found the annual rate in 2025 was more than 97% lower than in 2016. The comparison covers those years; it does not mean failures stopped altogether.
Did battery installations grow during the same period?
Yes. The analysis found cumulative U.S. deployments rose 250-fold between 2016 and 2025, while the annual failure rate declined.
Does the dataset prove grid batteries are safe?
No. It shows a decline in recorded failures, but EPRI lead author Lakshmi Srinivasan said the dataset is limited by a small number of incidents. The tally also does not capture the severity of each failure.
Were there serious battery fire incidents in the United States?
Yes. A 2019 fire outside Phoenix sent four emergency responders to hospital with serious injuries. A 2025 fire at Moss Landing largely destroyed the power plant and led to a multi-day community evacuation, but no injuries were reported there.
What does the transformer comparison mean?
EPRI calculated that grid battery units fail at a rate comparable to oil-filled transformers. The comparison concerns failure rates; it does not establish that the equipment has the same hazards or consequences when a failure occurs.
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