A standalone Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for energy storage in the US holds the potential to be more immediate and impactful than any other policy, the head of the US national Energy Storage Association has said.

In an interview with sister publication Energy-Storage.news, ESA chief executive Kelly Speakes-Backman backed the implementation of a storage ITC, commenting that the asset class was currently enjoying “extremely strong, bipartisan support” from US Congress, the Department of Energy and other administration.

Try Premium for just $1

Full premium access for the first month at only $1
Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
Cancel anytime during the trial period

Start $1 Trial

Premium Benefits

Expert industry analysis and interviews
Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Get Premium Subscription

Or continue reading this article for free

Get Basic (FREE) Subscription

This cross-party support was being enjoyed, Speakes-Backman said, as a result of a growing recognition of the role batteries and other storage technologies can play in establishing more efficient, affordable and sustainable grids.

As it stands, energy storage projects are eligible to receive the solar ITC but only if installed simultaneously and co-located with solar power generation, however Congress is due to debate the possibility of a standalone storage ITC later this month.

ESA CEO Kelly Speakes-Backman referred to analysis firm Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables latest quarterly US Energy Storage Monitor report, which highlighted that a storage ITC could boost forecasted installation figures by 2024 by 300MW each year (from 4.8GW to 5.1GW of predicted deployments).

“Frankly, it made sense at the very beginning to have these, the solar-plus-storage [ITC eligible projects]. But storage is applicable to so much more than just being coupled with solar now, that I think it’s important to create a level playing field. The same for solar, the same for CHP, geothermal, fuel cells, all the other technologies that enjoy independent, standalone ITCs, storage is at a point where it’s important that it be counted as a standalone asset,” Kelly Speakes-Backman said.

This story originally appeared on sister publication Energy-Storage.news. The full version can be read here.

UPCOMING EVENT

PV ModuleTech USA 2026

16 June 2026

Napa, USA

PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2028 and beyond.

UPCOMING EVENT

PV CellTech USA 2026

13 October 2026

San Francisco Bay Area, USA

PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 13-14 October 2026 is our fourth PV CellTech conference dedicated to solar manufacturing in the USA. From polysilicon, wafers, ingots, cells and modules, to critical component suppliers including glass and frames, the event connects every stage of the value chain under one roof. PV CellTech USA also brings together investors, innovators, manufacturers and industry stakeholders to collaborate and strengthen domestic solar manufacturing across the United States.