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A Canary Media analysis of Electric Power Research Institute data found that the annual failure rate for U.S. commercial and grid-scale batteries fell by more than 97% between 2016 and 2025, while cumulative deployments grew 250-fold. The figures suggest failures have become less frequent as the industry expanded, but the dataset is small and does not measure how severe each incident was.
The annual failure rate for U.S. grid batteries fell by more than 97% between 2016 and 2025, even as cumulative deployments grew 250-fold, according to a Canary Media analysis of data from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Solar Energy Industries Association. The trend offers evidence that reported failures have become less frequent as the technology has spread, though the underlying dataset is limited and does not capture the severity of each incident.
The analysis compared EPRI’s tally of commercial and utility-scale battery failures with installation figures compiled by the Solar Energy Industries Association in partnership with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. EPRI’s global failure records include events such as fires, explosions and arc flashes. In the U.S. comparison, the annual failure rate dropped sharply over the decade while cumulative deployments increased, the report said.
The annual count was zero in three separate years during the period, meaning no known failures were recorded in those years. Those zeros do not establish that batteries cannot fail; they describe the incidents captured in the dataset. The analysis also reports EPRI’s finding that grid battery units now fail at a rate comparable to oil-filled substation transformers, a longstanding piece of grid equipment.
Incident counts do not show how large or harmful each event was. A battery fire near Phoenix in 2019 sent four emergency responders to hospital with serious injuries, according to the source report, which describes it as the only significant bodily harm caused by a U.S. grid battery fire to date. A fire at California’s Moss Landing facility in January 2025 caused extensive damage and led to a multi-day evacuation of the surrounding community, but no injuries were reported.
Safety Data Meets Local Concerns
The decline matters because concern about fires can affect whether communities accept new battery projects. Grid-scale batteries can store electricity and supply it when demand rises or other sources are unavailable. Their expansion is part of the changing U.S. electricity system, but local debates often focus on the possibility of a serious fire and the difficulty of extinguishing one.
The figures can help residents and local officials compare reported failure frequency with the benefits proponents cite, including grid reliability, local tax revenue and potential downward pressure on electricity costs. They do not settle that debate: a lower rate does not make the consequences of a rare large incident irrelevant, and communities may weigh risks differently depending on a project’s design and location.
There is also a difference in public visibility. Substation transformers are familiar infrastructure, while battery installations face intense scrutiny after highly visible incidents. The comparison with transformers gives readers a reference point, but it is not a guarantee that every battery facility has the same safety profile as every transformer or that the hazards are identical.
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A Decade of Battery Expansion
U.S. battery storage has expanded rapidly, making batteries a leading choice for new on-demand grid power, according to the source report. The safety record covers a technology that has changed over the same period: standards have been introduced and updated, while battery systems and project layouts have become more sophisticated, the report says.
The Moss Landing fire remains a prominent example in local discussions about proposed projects. It involved one of the early large battery installations and caused extensive damage, although the report says nobody was injured. Its scale and the evacuation helped make it a reference point as communities assess new facilities. The 2019 Phoenix-area incident, by contrast, is cited for the serious injuries to emergency responders.
EPRI’s analysis covers failures internationally, but Canary Media compared the failure data with U.S. deployment figures to examine the domestic pattern. Rules and safety standards vary among countries, so global trends should not automatically be treated as a direct measure of conditions at every U.S. site.
“There just aren’t a lot of failures, which is a good thing, but that means you don’t have a very robust dataset to analyze.”
— Lakshmi Srinivasan, lead author of the EPRI report
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Limits of the Failure Records
The dataset is small, EPRI’s lead author said, because relatively few failures have been recorded. That limits the strength of conclusions that can be drawn from a year-by-year rate, particularly when some years have no recorded events.
The tally also does not describe the scale, duration or consequences of each failure. A small incident and a fire that damages a major facility can each appear as a failure, despite having very different effects. The reported rate therefore cannot, on its own, measure the full risk to nearby residents, workers, emergency responders or the power system.
The source material does not provide detailed information about the calculation method, the exact annual deployment totals, or how completely incidents are reported. It is also unclear how the trend will change as installations continue to grow and as future projects use different equipment, layouts and safety rules. The data supports a decline in the recorded annual failure rate; it does not establish that future incidents will be less severe.
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Further Data Will Test the Trend
The next useful test will be whether later EPRI records continue to show a low annual failure rate as U.S. battery capacity expands. More complete incident reporting and details on severity would help researchers distinguish minor faults from events that damage facilities or harm people.
For communities reviewing proposed projects, the reported national trend is one input rather than a site-specific safety assessment. Local decisions will still depend on project design, applicable standards, emergency planning and the risks and benefits officials and residents identify. The source report does not announce a new national safety rule or a scheduled regulatory decision.
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Key Questions
How much did the U.S. grid battery failure rate fall?
The analysis found that the annual failure rate fell by more than 97% from 2016 to 2025. It also reported that cumulative deployments grew 250-fold over that period.
Does the data mean grid batteries cannot catch fire?
No. Fires and other failures have occurred. The analysis indicates that recorded failures became less frequent relative to deployments; it does not show that failures are impossible or predict the severity of a future incident.
What is the main limitation of the data?
EPRI’s lead author said there are relatively few failures, leaving a small dataset. The tally also does not capture how large or severe each event was.
Were there serious injuries in U.S. battery fires?
The source report says a 2019 fire near Phoenix sent four emergency responders to hospital with serious injuries and describes it as the only significant bodily harm from a U.S. grid battery fire to date. It says the January 2025 Moss Landing fire caused extensive damage and a multi-day evacuation but no injuries.
How does the battery failure rate compare with transformers?
EPRI calculated that grid battery units now fail at a rate comparable to oil-filled substation transformers. That comparison is about failure rates; it does not mean the equipment has identical hazards or that every facility has the same risk.
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