The U.S. grid is facing its biggest stress test since WWII. The answer? Batteries.

Joan White, Director of Storage & Interconnection Policy at SEIA, joins Nico on the PowerUp Live stage at RE+ Northeast to unpack the audacious 700 GWh storage deployment target laid out in SEIA’s latest white paper. That’s a 50% increase over the “business as usual” trajectory—and Joan believes it’s not just possible, but necessary.

“It’s a lot cheaper to build storage for peak demand than to maintain fossil plants that only run a few hours a year.” – Joan White, SEIA

As AI data centers, EV adoption, and manufacturing supercharge national energy demand, the grid must evolve. Energy storage isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s a requirement. Joan walks us through the policy levers, market dynamics, and cost curves shaping this once-in-a-generation energy transformation.

 🔹 Why SEIA is pushing for 700 GWh of storage (and how we get there)
🔹 The invisible hand of tariffs and trade cases reshaping the battery market
🔹 The threat of repealing the ITC—and how states are stepping up
🔹 How storage can finally retire fossil peaker plants and replace standby fees

Joan doesn’t just know the policy—she’s writing the playbook. Whether you’re a policymaker, developer, or just curious about what’s next for the grid, this one’s a must-listen.

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“With 700 gigawatt-hours of storage, plus EVs, we could power the entire U.S. grid overnight—cleanly.” – Joan White, SEIA

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