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Massachusetts is targeting 5 gigawatts of battery storage by 2030 and 10 GW by 2035, supported by incentives, state procurements and permitting reforms. Projects are advancing, but high grid-connection costs remain a major obstacle, and the outcome of a new procurement is still pending.
Massachusetts is targeting 5 gigawatts of battery storage by 2030 and another 5 GW by 2035, while state incentives, utility procurements and permitting reforms aim to make projects easier to build. The plan would put the state among the most ambitious in the country for storage, but high costs to connect batteries to the electric grid remain a significant hurdle.
The state has already exceeded an earlier goal of installing 1 GW of storage by 2025, reaching more than 1.6 GW, according to the source report. Massachusetts began its storage push with the Energy Storage Initiative in 2015. The newer 2030 and 2035 targets expand that effort as the state pursues clean-energy goals and seeks ways to manage high electricity costs.
Several large projects are moving through development. Near Boston, Jupiter Power is preparing the 700-megawatt Trimount project, with construction slated to begin next year. Another company has secured $850 million in financing for a 250-MW battery, while a 200-MW project near the Rhode Island border has broken ground and is expected to be operating by year’s end, the report says. These projects are at different stages; the target is not a guarantee that they will all be completed on schedule.
Three policy tools underpin the effort. The Clean Peak Standard, which took effect in 2020, pays renewable generators and storage owners for supplying electricity during periods of peak demand. The state has also changed siting and permitting rules: for storage projects of at least 100 MW, the Energy Facilities Siting Board can approve applications, with decisions required within 15 months. Separately, state procurements seek to secure storage capacity through contracts with utilities.
How Batteries Could Ease Peak Demand
Battery storage can shift electricity across the day: systems charge when power is plentiful or less expensive, then discharge when demand rises. Massachusetts officials and advocates say that flexibility can help integrate renewable generation, including solar, and reduce reliance on more expensive and emissions-intensive generation during peak periods. The size of any effect on bills or emissions will depend on project costs, operating patterns and the electricity sources batteries charge from.
Storage may also help the grid respond to outages and severe weather, although the source report does not quantify how much resilience the planned capacity would provide. The state’s 10 GW target is a procurement and development ambition, not a measure of capacity already installed. Its significance will depend on whether projects secure permits, financing and workable interconnection agreements.
Massachusetts is competing to attract development while addressing a practical constraint: large batteries must be connected to a grid that can handle their output. If connection upgrades are too costly, projects may be delayed, redesigned or abandoned even when state policies and procurement contracts support them.
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From Early Targets to Larger Projects
Massachusetts started encouraging large-scale storage in 2015 under then-Gov. Charlie Baker. The initial target was 1 GW by 2025, a level the state surpassed, reaching more than 1.6 GW. The current plan raises the ambition to 5 GW by 2030 and 10 GW by 2035. The source report says 13 states have battery-storage procurement targets and describes Massachusetts’ 10 GW target as the highest among them.
The Clean Peak Standard was introduced in 2020 to create an extra revenue stream for projects that deliver electricity during high-demand periods. New siting rules took effect July 1, shifting authority over qualifying large energy projects, including storage facilities of 100 MW or more, to the state Energy Facilities Siting Board. That replaces the prior patchwork of local permitting processes for those projects, while setting a 15-month decision deadline.
Procurements are also part of the timeline. In December 2025, Massachusetts selected four projects totaling 1.3 GW to advance to contract negotiations with major utilities. A second solicitation drew 35 bids before closing earlier this month, according to the report; selected projects were expected to be announced in February.
“Massachusetts is really a leader in this space.”
— Erin Smith, energy and grid policy director at the Environmental League of Massachusetts
Grid Connection Costs Could Stall Projects
The largest unresolved obstacle identified in the report is the cost of connecting proposed batteries to the grid. Developers canceled a planned 125-MW project in Tewksbury in September after citing $65 million in required grid upgrades. The report also describes a recent ISO New England study of interconnection costs for proposed projects, most of them batteries in Massachusetts, with many estimates above $200 million. Those are estimates for specific proposals, not a uniform cost for every project.
The available information does not establish how many projects will ultimately be built, what the selected projects in the latest solicitation will cost, or whether utility contract negotiations will conclude. The report’s excerpt ends while discussing the interconnection estimates, so it does not provide the full findings or further detail on how costs might be allocated. It is also unclear whether the permitting deadline will translate into faster completed construction if grid upgrades remain expensive.
Procurement Decisions and Project Milestones
The next near-term milestone is the expected February announcement of projects selected from the second state solicitation. Those projects would still need to move through contract negotiations and other development steps. The four projects selected in December 2025 are also at the contract-negotiation stage, rather than confirmed as completed facilities.
Developers will continue work on permitting, financing and interconnection. Jupiter Power has said construction on Trimount is slated to begin next year; the 200-MW project near the Rhode Island border is expected to be operating by year’s end, according to the report. The state’s progress toward its 2030 and 2035 targets will depend on whether those and other proposals can clear grid-connection constraints and reach operation.
Key Questions
What battery-storage capacity is Massachusetts targeting?
The state aims to have 5 GW online by 2030, followed by another 5 GW by 2035, for a total target of 10 GW.
What policies are intended to support battery projects?
Support includes payments through the Clean Peak Standard for supplying power during peak demand, state procurement solicitations, and siting reforms that give the Energy Facilities Siting Board authority over storage projects of at least 100 MW.
How much storage has Massachusetts already installed?
The source report says the state exceeded its earlier goal of 1 GW by 2025 and had installed more than 1.6 GW.
What is the main obstacle facing proposed projects?
Grid interconnection costs are a major concern. A planned 125-MW Tewksbury battery was canceled after developers cited $65 million in grid upgrades; estimates for other proposed projects have exceeded $200 million.
When will the next procurement selections be announced?
The report said projects from a second solicitation were expected to be announced in February. It does not specify a year in the supplied excerpt.
Source: canarymedia.com
