The world is on the brink of a serious surge in batteries -- and not just the kind that powers mobile phones, laptops and sports cars. Batteries of the near future will power homes and hospitals and even provide relief for the grid, with in an industry that may be worth $200 billion in 2020.
The battery boom got an extra boost from the Environmental Protection Agency, with new regulations proposed this month to limit power-plant pollution. In a departure from previous rules, the EPA leaves it to individual states to determine how they will cut emissions. Some states will build more efficient buildings, others will shift from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas. An often-overlooked beneficiary is battery makers.
You might be forgiven if you missed the connection, but it’s right there in the EPA filing, on page 507 (out of 645):

“Electricity storage technologies have the potential to enhance emission performance by reducing the need for fossil fuel-fired EGUs [Electric Utility Generating Unit] to provide generation during periods when intermittent wind and solar generation are unavailable due to natural conditions. States may wish to consider this possibility as they consider options for design of their plans.”

Translation: as solar panels and wind turbines become more attractive, batteries can store power for when the sun isn’t shining and the wind doesn’t blow. Renewables will account for about 70 percent of new generation capacity added worldwide from 2012 to 2030, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.