The forecast: More grid operators are offering data centers a quick interconnection option—if they agree to curtailment. To make that possible, these facilities will need plenty of storage. In fact, data center demand could hit 17 GWh by 2028 and 285 GWh by 2035, according to a recent report from market research firm Currence.
The storage hotspots: Most of that capacity is predicted to land in data center-heavy PJM, followed by ERCOT and MISO.
Moving beyond lithium: By 2030, facilities will likely need longer-duration storage as growing demand stretches curtailment times. That’s where non-lithium tech, like CO2 batteries and compressed air storage, can shine—they offer cheaper capacity at the eight-hour mark.
The big question: How much of this storage will live in front versus behind the meter? Developers will likely lean toward the former, Currence storage analyst Lukas Karapin-Springorum told Energy Central over email. This “lets the developer find the best site for storage independently of the best site for the data center,” he wrote.
Tue, Nov 3
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
NEWS: Storage demand from flexible data centers could jump nearly 20X between 2028-2035.
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