Italian renewables platform Whysol Renewables has secured financing towards four agrivoltaics plants and two battery energy storage systems (BESS) in southern Italy.
Telangana Power Generation Corporation Limited (TGGENCO) has announced the results of its auction for setting up 375 MW/1,500 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS). Coal India and Sarus Infrastructures both have secured 187.5 MW/750 [...]
NTPC Limited has announced the results of its auction for setting up 2,334 MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) across its thermal power stations in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. GR Infraprojects [...]
In the rapidly evolving landscape of data centers powered by artificial intelligence, energy storage strategies are undergoing a profound transformation. ZincFive®, a leader in nickel-zinc battery solutions, has unveiled its third annual 2026 Data Center Energy Storage Industry Insights Report, developed with Endeavor Business Intelligence. This comprehensive study, based on surveys of 150 global industry professionals conducted in early 2026, reveals how AI workloads are reshaping power infrastructure priorities.
Key Trends Emerge
The report identifies surging AI demands as a central force. Notably, 57% of respondents report that AI is driving higher power density needs and smaller footprints, a trend holding steady from 54% last year. Additionally, 52% emphasize managing AI’s dynamic power fluctuations and upholding power quality – a sharp rise from 37% in 2025 – highlighting the urgency for resilient storage solutions.
Cost and safety dominate decision-making. An impressive 84% prioritize total cost of ownership, up from 79% in 2025 and 65% in 2024, while 76% stress battery chemistry safety. AI dynamic power ranks as the second-biggest driver for technology shifts at 49%, after cost (58%). Sustainability also plays a pivotal role, with 70% factoring it into purchases and 46% achieving moderate to significant cost savings from sustainable initiatives.
Prioritizing Battery Features for AI Challenges
When addressing AI-specific power issues, professionals rank power density (38%), safety (37%), uptime (33%), and maintenance ease (32%) as top criteria for battery selection. These insights underscore the need for advanced chemistries like nickel-zinc, which ZincFive champions for its high power density, safety, and sustainability in mission-critical applications.
“As AI workloads continue to transform data center infrastructure, operators are facing new challenges around power density, power quality, and system reliability,” said Tod Higinbotham, CEO of ZincFive. “This year’s report highlights how the industry is adapting to these evolving demands while balancing cost, safety, and sustainability priorities. The findings underscore the growing need for energy storage technologies capable of delivering high power performance, operational resilience, and infrastructure efficiency in the era of AI-driven data centers.”
Implications for the Industry
This report builds on prior editions, tracking consistent yet intensifying trends amid AI’s expansion. Data center operators can download the full 2026 report, along with 2025 and 2024 versions, from ZincFive’s website to inform strategic planning. As AI continues to demand more from power systems, innovations in safe, efficient energy storage will be crucial for maintaining uptime and sustainability goals.
To read the full press release, please click here.
EnerVenue, the US company commercialising technology adapted from nickel-hydrogen batteries, has closed a US$300 million extension of its Series B preferred stock financing round.
Hithium has signed a cooperation agreement for a potential 3GWh of battery storage deployments in the Asia-Pacific region with infrastructure investor Brawn Capital.
Climate Energy Finance’s Tim Buckley argues that geopolitical instability exposes Australia's oil dependency and positions the country as a safe haven for international renewable energy capital.
Ex-Fluence alumnus Marek Kubik sat down with Energy-Storage.news at last month's Energy Storage Summit 2026 in London to talk big picture BESS technology trends, including energy density, LDES and sodium-ion.
As battery energy storage systems (BESS) and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure expand in the US and Europe, a clear contrast is becoming evident in their market growth.
Thimo Mueller, general manager of commercial at ASL, has urged that a ‘culture of collaboration’ will be key to New South Wales (NSW) achieving its energy storage targets.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has selected developer and IPP Elevate Renewables’ 600MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) for development in Ridgefield, New Jersey, US.
Enefit, the electricity business of state-owned Estonian utility and power generator Eesti Energia AS, will build three new battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Lithuania, with a combined capacity of 46MW/184MWh.
Recently I took part in a discussion in Ottawa as part of CAFES Network’s work to raise local energy literacy, hosted by Invest Ottawa and attended by a mixed audience of residents, municipal and provincial policy observers, students, and people already working in energy and climate. Angela Keller-Herzog, founding executive ... [continued]
Login
