GoKawiilWood Mackenzie: Battery storage now cheaper than open-cycle gas turbines worldwide
A new Wood Mackenzie report finds that four-hour battery storage systems cost less than open-cycle natural gas turbines in all 43 markets surveyed across every continent. The firm projects battery costs will keep falling while gas turbine electricity costs rise, partly due to AI data center developers buying up available turbines and driving procurement waits to two-to-four years, with closed-cycle models backlogged into the early 2030s. Separately, solar was found to be the cheapest new power source in every surveyed market, though tariffs and import restrictions are pressuring prices in North America.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The shift suggests utilities and data center operators may increasingly turn to batteries rather than gas peaker plants to meet surging electricity demand, which could reshape procurement strategies in an industry racing to power AI infrastructure. Rising gas turbine costs and long wait times could also contribute to higher electricity prices for consumers, according to Wood Mackenzie's analysis. Safe-harbor tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill may help shield a large share of U.S. utility-scale solar projects from near-term price volatility.
- Four-hour battery storage now beats open-cycle gas turbines on cost in all 43 markets Wood Mackenzie studied.
- AI-driven demand for gas turbines has pushed procurement waits to 2-4 years for open-cycle and into the early 2030s for closed-cycle models.
- Solar remains the cheapest new power source globally, though U.S. tariffs and import restrictions threaten near-term price gains.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro Portable Power Station — As the article highlights, battery storage technology is rapidly becoming the cheaper, cleaner alternative to gas turbines at the grid scale, and that same shift is happening at home. The EcoFlow DELTA Pro lets you store energy and reduce reliance on peak-demand electricity, giving everyday consumers a taste of the battery revolution reshaping power markets.
See EcoFlow DELTA Pro Portable Power Station on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: techcrunch.com — Tim De Chant, 2026-10-09
Published there as: “Batteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines used at many data centers”
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