Bulgaria’s battery energy storage capacity increased by 1 GW in a single month to 5.4 GW, according to Bulgarian business publication Capital.bg. The news report cites ENTSO-E data as of August 17, 2026, showing a nearly 23% month-on-month (MoM) increase in operating capacity. It expanded from 4.4 GW on July 10, 2026. The rapid expansion reflects the country’s accelerating deployment of battery storage alongside its growing renewable energy capacity. The reported 5.4 GW storage capacity refers to an estimated 16.2 GW electricity storage capacity. According to the report, batteries now account for 22.8% of the country’s 23.75 GW of installed capacity and nearly 69% of all solar and wind capacity combined. It attributes the increase to deadlines under the Recovery Plan and RESTORE 1 and 2 programs that support standalone projects. These facilities had to be built by July 31, 2026, followed by regulatory tests and a full charge-discharge cycle by the end of August.
Australian energy infrastructure company APA Group has taken a final investment decision (FID) to construct, own and operate the 72 MW Sybella Creek Solar Farm and a 52 MW/104 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Mount Isa, Queensland. It will invest AUD 259 million in the project that’s backed by a long-term Energy Supply Agreement with Ernest Henry Mining, a wholly owned subsidiary of Evolution Mining. The latter operates the Ernest Henry copper-gold mine in Queensland. The agreement runs until mid-2046. APA said the solar farm and battery will complement its existing Diamantina Power Facility, with gas-fired generation providing firming capacity. The combined system is expected to improve energy reliability and resilience for Ernest Henry's operations and other customers in the North West Power System. The project will begin construction in late 2026, with completion planned by mid-2028.
US-based battery energy storage developer and operator, Key Capture Energy (KCE) has closed a $300 million letter of credit (LC) facility with Standard Chartered to support its battery energy storage development pipeline across the country. The facility will initially focus on projects in the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) markets. It is intended to support projects through development, construction, and operation. KCE currently operates 623 MW of utility-scale battery storage and claims a development pipeline exceeding 8 GW.
US energy storage company Noon Energy and Sabanci Renewables have agreed to co-develop up to 1 GW/100 GWh of ultra-long-duration energy storage projects in the US to provide round-the-clock (RTC) renewable power for AI infrastructure. The projects will combine Noon Energy’s reversible electrofuels battery systems, designed for more than 100 hours of storage, with Sabanci Renewables’ utility-scale renewable energy portfolio. The projects could be structured through power purchase or capacity offtake agreements, with commercial deployment potentially starting as early as 2027. Sabanci Renewables is targeting a 3 GW US renewable portfolio over the next five years. It currently operates and is constructing four utility-scale solar projects totaling 790 MW DC in the ERCOT market.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has released a straw proposal for approximately 150 MW of distributed energy storage under Phase 2, Block 1 of the Garden State Energy Storage Program. The proposal focuses on expanding behind-the-meter (BTM) residential battery storage, with participating customers eligible for performance-based incentives over a proposed 10-year period. Through this proposal, the agency says it aims to integrate more clean energy resources, lower costs, and complement its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and grid modernization efforts. The proposal is part of New Jersey’s efforts to meet its 2 GW energy storage goal for 2030.
EDP, through its subsidiary EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA), and the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) have completed the 92 MW/368 MWh Sandrini Energy Storage project in Kern County, California. The BESS is co-located with the 300 MW Sandrini Solar project and can provide electricity equivalent to the needs of more than 22,000 California homes. The project has an energy storage service agreement with RCEA covering 100% of the battery capacity. It is intended to improve grid reliability and help shift renewable electricity to periods of higher demand. RCEA is purchasing 100 MW from the co-located Sandrini Solar project.
