Human Tech Tree
Current research2025 · Present (2015 – Oct 2026)

Energy & Industry / Energy

Grid-Scale Batteries

112 GW (307 GWh) of grid batteries were commissioned in 2025; battery packs for stationary storage now cost only about $70/kWh.

Open in the interactive tree →

Together with electric cars, the lithium iron phosphate battery has pushed costs down sharply. The plants shift solar power from midday to evening and stabilise grids within milliseconds, but are designed for hours, not weeks.

As of October 2026

BloombergNEF counts about 112 GW (307 GWh) of newly commissioned grid storage for 2025, 48% more than in 2024; China accounts for 54%, the US for 16%. For 2026 BNEF expects 158 GW (+41%). The average battery pack price fell to $108/kWh in 2025, and to $70/kWh for stationary storage (LFP average $81/kWh).

Open steps

  • Cheap storage for days, not hours Medium AI leverageProve iron-air, flow or thermal storage at grid scale for 24 to 100 hours; Form Energy's first 150 MWh site is due online in 2027.
  • Predicting 15-year ageing early High AI leverageForecast how battery systems age over 15 or more years from the first months of field data, to price warranties and plan replacements.
  • Fire detection and containment Medium AI leverageDetect cell off-gassing earlier and set tested spacing and explosion-venting rules for large lithium-iron-phosphate sites.
  • Grid-forming control and dispatch Medium AI leverageOperate large batteries to supply inertia and black-start while bidding optimally across markets, within warranty limits.

Where AI could help

Medium AI leverage. AI predicts battery life and optimises dispatch and trading, but cell cost, grid connections and supply chains limit rollout.

  • Predict cell lifetime from early cycles to qualify new chemistries faster
  • Optimise charge, discharge and market bids against prices and degradation
  • Detect early cell faults to reduce fire risk at large storage sites
  • Forecast regional storage needs from weather and demand patterns

Shown so far

  • In March 2019, a Nature Energy study predicted the cycle life of 124 fast-charged cells from their first 100 cycles with 9.1% test error, using machine learning. source

Prerequisites

Unlocks

Sources

More in Energy · Present

All 50 points in Energy →

Open in the interactive tree →