The global energy storage market is moving fast. Battery costs have fallen sharply, installations are accelerating, and projects are being built in markets where governments have yet to set a 2030 storage target.
So, if the market is already delivering, why do governments still need targets?
Because deployment alone does not guarantee that storage will be built at the scale, in the places or on the timelines needed to support the energy transition.
Global energy storage additions reached a record 118 GW in 2025, including 108 GW of batteries. Battery additions have increased seventeenfold in five years, and deployment is already outpacing current national targets.
Yet, Ember’s latest analysis finds that national 2030 storage targets total just 822 GW across 99 countries and the EU. That is nearly three times the ambition assessed at COP29, but still 45% below the global pledge to reach 1,500 GW by 2030 (see Global Storage Targets Reach 822 GW, 45% Below COP29 Goal).
The apparent contradiction is important. The market is moving, but government planning has not caught up.
The case for storage is increasingly clear in solar markets. Solar generates most of its electricity during daylight hours, while demand continues into the evening and night. Batteries can store surplus daytime generation and release it when needed, helping reduce curtailment, ease pressure on grids, and make better use of renewable capacity.
That is why countries with ambitious solar targets often have ambitious storage targets too. But the relationship is far from universal. Of the world's 20 largest solar markets by installed capacity in 2025, eight still have no storage target for 2030.
The lack of a target has not stopped deployment everywhere. The US has installed roughly 52 GW of utility-scale batteries, Germany has around 30 GWh of battery storage installed, and Saudi Arabia has connected a 7.8 GWh project, the world's largest single battery project.
These examples show that market forces and grid needs can drive investment without an explicit national target. But they do not mean targets are unnecessary. They show that deployment can move ahead while government planning lags behind.
Other markets have made less progress on both targets and installations. Without a clear signal of future ambition, investors may have less certainty about the scale and timing of demand. Where storage development remains limited, the absence of a target can mean a missed opportunity to unlock investment and make better use of existing and planned solar capacity.
A national target is not a substitute for a functioning market. Nor does announcing a number guarantee that projects will be built. Targets need to be supported by effective policies, investment frameworks and grid planning.
But they can help align these elements. A credible target gives investors a clearer indication of the scale of future deployment governments expect. It can help guide decisions on procurement, grid development, and the coordination of storage with new renewable generation. It can also draw attention to gaps between planned renewable capacity and the flexibility needed to integrate it.
The distinction matters because storage is not just about adding up gigawatts. It is about ensuring that the right amount and type of storage is available where and when the power system needs it. A national target should therefore be connected to the country's broader energy plans, including its renewable capacity ambitions and grid requirements.
The global picture also shows how concentrated the recent increase in ambition has been. China raised its 2030 storage target to 460 GW in its 15th Five-Year Plan, while the EU set its first bloc-wide target at 200 GW in June 2026. Together, they account for more than 80% of national storage targets worldwide.
This is significant progress, but it is not evidence of a broad-based shift in government planning. Most other major solar markets have not substantially increased their storage ambition since COP29.
The stakes will rise as electrification expands. More electricity use across transport, buildings and industry can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but only if power systems can supply that electricity reliably and increasingly from clean sources.
The Global Electrification Pledge being advanced ahead of COP31 aims to raise electricity's share of final energy demand from around 20% to 35% by 2035. Delivering on that ambition will require more than electrifying end uses. It will also require sufficient renewable generation, grid infrastructure and storage to meet demand when it occurs.
The storage market has already demonstrated that it can scale rapidly. Ember's analysis suggests that even if annual battery additions grow much more slowly than they have since 2020, the world could still reach the 1,500 GW pledge by 2030. Falling battery costs are helping make that possible.
The challenge now is to translate this momentum into reliable power systems. Governments do not need to dictate every investment decision or set targets just to have them. They do need credible plans that give markets direction and ensure deployment meets system needs.
Storage is booming, which is reason enough to raise ambition, not abandon it. This matters even more as the world enters the Age of Power, with electricity taking on a growing role across all sectors. Targets can help turn a fast-growing market into a more coordinated build-out of the flexibility needed for a renewables-powered, increasingly electrified world.
