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Massachusetts has set a goal of bringing 5 gigawatts of battery storage online by 2030 and a further 5 GW by 2035, backed by incentives, procurements and permitting reforms. Projects are advancing, but high grid-connection costs remain a major obstacle, and the state’s latest procurement decisions are pending.
Massachusetts is aiming for 10 gigawatts of battery storage by 2035, including 5 GW by 2030, while using incentives, procurement programs and new permitting rules to encourage projects. The policy push is supporting a growing project pipeline, but high costs to connect batteries to the grid remain a significant hurdle.
The state has already exceeded its earlier goal of installing 1 GW of energy storage by 2025, reaching more than 1.6 GW, according to the source report. Massachusetts’ newer target calls for 5 GW by 2030 and another 5 GW by 2035. The report says that 10-GW total is the highest storage target set by any of the 13 states with battery procurement goals.
Several large projects are at different stages. Jupiter Power’s proposed 700-MW Trimount project near Boston is expected to be much larger than other battery projects in New England, with construction slated to begin next year. A separate company has closed on $850 million in financing for a 250-MW battery, while a 200-MW facility near the Rhode Island border has broken ground and is expected to be operating by year-end, the report says.
State support includes the Clean Peak Standard, launched in 2020, which pays renewable energy facilities and storage owners for delivering power during peak-demand periods. Permitting reforms that took effect July 1 give the state Energy Facilities Siting Board authority to approve large energy projects, including storage facilities of at least 100 MW. The board must make decisions within 15 months of an application, replacing the previous patchwork of local permitting processes for those projects.
How Batteries Could Ease Peak Demand
Battery storage can shift electricity across the day: systems charge when power is relatively cheap and plentiful, then discharge when demand rises. That can reduce reliance on more expensive or higher-emitting generation during peak periods. Massachusetts officials and advocates say the technology could support the state’s clean-energy goals while helping manage electricity demand.
Storage may also provide resilience during severe or erratic weather by adding resources that can support the grid. The effect on household bills and outage frequency is not quantified in the supplied report, however. The projects’ benefits will depend in part on their cost, location, grid connections and how they are operated.
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From Early Targets to Statewide Rules
Massachusetts began its push to develop storage with the Energy Storage Initiative in 2015, under then-Gov. Charlie Baker. The state surpassed the initiative’s initial 1-GW-by-2025 target, and subsequent policies have sought to make storage projects easier to finance and build.
The Clean Peak Standard offers developers an additional revenue source, while state procurements are intended to secure large amounts of storage capacity. In December 2025, Massachusetts selected four projects totaling 1.3 GW to advance to contract negotiations with major utilities. A second solicitation drew 35 bids before closing earlier this month; the state is expected to announce selected projects in February.
“Massachusetts is really a leader in this space.”
— Erin Smith, energy and grid policy director at the Environmental League of Massachusetts
Grid Connection Costs Cloud the Pipeline
Interconnection costs remain a major uncertainty for proposed projects. Developers canceled plans for a 125-MW battery in Tewksbury in September, citing an unexpected $65 million cost for grid upgrades. The report says estimates in a recent study by ISO New England for a number of proposed projects—most of them battery developments in Massachusetts—often topped $200 million.
The supplied report does not provide the study’s full range of estimates or explain how those costs will be divided among developers, utilities and customers. It also does not establish how many proposed projects will reach construction, secure contracts or connect to the grid. The scale and timing of the planned buildout therefore remain subject to project economics and approvals.
February Procurement Decisions Ahead
Massachusetts is expected to announce the projects selected in its second storage solicitation in February. The four projects selected in December 2025 are still moving toward contract negotiations with major utilities, while developers continue work on projects at different stages, including Trimount, whose construction is slated to begin next year.
Future progress will depend on those procurement outcomes, the permitting process and whether projects can manage grid-upgrade costs. The state’s 2030 and 2035 targets set the direction, but the available information does not establish whether the full planned capacity will be built and operating on schedule.
Key Questions
What are Massachusetts’ battery storage targets?
The state is targeting 5 GW by 2030 and 10 GW total by 2035, adding another 5 GW in the following five years.
What policies are intended to support battery projects?
Support includes payments under the Clean Peak Standard, state procurements for storage capacity and permitting reforms for large energy projects. The new rules give the state siting board authority over storage projects of 100 MW or more, with decisions due within 15 months of application.
What is the main obstacle for proposed projects?
Grid interconnection costs are a major concern. The report says a planned 125-MW Tewksbury project was canceled after developers cited $65 million in required grid upgrades; estimates for many projects in an ISO New England study topped $200 million.
When will Massachusetts announce another group of selected projects?
The state is expected to announce selections from a second solicitation in February. It received 35 bids before the solicitation closed earlier this month.
Source: canarymedia.com
