Which LDES companies are poised to land the next big contracts?

This is industry news about grid-scale batteries, not something that touches individual homes, but it's worth knowing about since it shapes how the power grid gets cleaner and more reliable over time.

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) refers to big batteries and similar systems that can store electricity for many hours, helping the grid handle spikes in demand from things like data centers. The sector is growing fast: after a breakout 2025, when 33 megawatts came online globally, this year is expected to bring hundreds of megawatts into service. Most of that growth is still coming from lithium-ion batteries, which tend to win government contracts on cost and readiness.

But non-lithium technologies are gaining ground too, especially with large power users like tech companies that care more about steady supply chains than rock-bottom price. Energy Dome, which makes carbon-dioxide batteries, has landed high-profile deals, including one with Google. Form Energy, maker of iron-air batteries, is climbing the ranks as the cost of its big Pine Island project with Xcel and Google comes down; it's also reportedly considering an IPO.

Behind those two leaders, a second wave of companies is positioning itself for future contracts. Hydrostor, a Canadian compressed-air storage company, has a large project pipeline and could get a credibility boost if its flagship California project reaches a final investment decision. Invinity Energy Systems, a British vanadium-flow battery maker, recently won its biggest contract yet and is building U.S. manufacturing. Sage Geosystems, which combines geothermal technology with energy storage, is smaller but could benefit as buyers start prioritizing reliability over cost alone.