Grid storage is growing faster than the industry expected. EVs accounted for more than 70% of global battery deployment in 2025, down from almost 80% in 2024, according to the IEA.

On this CPH Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver unpack stationary battery storage growth and follow the batteries to two places: 230 GW of data center interconnection requests and a solar plus storage copper mine in Congo. They also cover China clean tech investment, EV charging costs, and agrivoltaics. These stories show where new batteries are going and why.

Episode Highlights:

• Stationary storage is taking a larger share of global battery deployment. EVs fell to more than 70% in 2025, down from almost 80% in 2024 (IEA), as EV growth ran slower than projected and grid storage grew faster. Tim opened with a 95% EV figure, John corrected it with the IEA data live, and the hosts named CATL, BYD, and Illinois' new grid law as drivers of grid-scale battery storage.
• Cross Boundary Energy's Kamoa Copper project in the Democratic Republic of Congo pairs 233 MW of east-west solar with a 526 MWh battery and 30 MW of output. John calls the roughly 8 to 1 DC to AC ratio the largest he has seen. (Crossboundary Energy)
• Tim reports 230 GW of data center interconnection applications across the U.S., against a grid running near 500 GW. He argues 20 million Powerwall 3 units, or one in five homes, would match that load. The hosts discuss grid edge computing from Lektra and Base Power's 40 kWh home batteries, which entered Illinois through the state's virtual power plant legislation.
• China's share of global clean manufacturing investment fell from 71% in early 2023 to 33% in Q2 2026 (Reuters). Tim asked why this counts as good news for solar.
• Maize under the panels produced 19.6% more dry matter than an open control plot during a drought and heat wave. The panels cut evapotranspiration by 20% (PV Magazine).
• A Sydney green roof ran 28 degrees Celsius cooler, and its solar outperformed a metal roof array by 11% (Renew Economy).

This episode serves battery storage professionals, solar developers, clean energy investors, and policy watchers. Data center load, gas price spikes, and shifting battery demand all affect project economics right now. Tim and John give you the numbers and more.

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

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