In 2023, the United States experienced a significant surge in large-scale battery storage installations, adding a record 7.9 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to the grid. This growth, a 90% increase from the previous year, was driven by the need to support the expansion of intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The new battery systems, primarily lithium-ion, are designed to store excess energy when production is high and discharge it during periods of high demand or low generation. This boom is part of a broader national effort to modernize the electrical grid and reduce reliance on fossil fuel-powered peaker plants. The Inflation Reduction Act is cited as a key policy providing long-term investment certainty for the energy storage sector. For the full details, read the complete article at https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-had-a-big-battery-boom-last-year/