A new national assessment shows the U.S. electric grid is entering the summer season in stronger condition than last year, with solar and battery storage playing a leading role in improving reliability during periods of extreme heat and high demand.

Reporting by Jeff St. John in Canary Media highlights findings from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), which oversees grid reliability across the United States and Canada. The report concludes that “record resource additions”  particularly solar energy and battery storage,  have significantly strengthened the grid’s ability to meet peak summer demand.

In the past year, the U.S. added more than 30 gigawatts of new solar capacity and over 16 gigawatts of battery storage. While a smaller amount of natural gas capacity also came online, the report emphasizes that the primary drivers of improved reliability are clean energy resources, not aging fossil fuel plants.

Battery storage is especially important during heat waves, when electricity demand spikes in the late afternoon and evening. These systems store excess solar energy generated during the day and release it when the grid is under the most stress, helping to prevent shortages and reduce blackout risk.

Solar energy also plays a key role during peak demand hours. Although solar output varies by time of day and weather conditions, NERC found that new solar installations are still contributing meaningful capacity during the hottest periods of summer, when electricity use is highest due to air conditioning demand.

The report also challenges the idea that extending the life of older coal plants is necessary for reliability. In recent years, the Department of Energy has ordered several fossil fuel plants to remain online past their planned retirement dates. However, NERC’s analysis did not rely on these plants when evaluating summer reliability conditions, underscoring that newer solar and storage resources are increasingly carrying system needs.

While most regions of the U.S. are expected to have sufficient supply, the report does identify a few areas, including New England, parts of the Pacific Northwest, West Texas, and Saskatchewan, that could face strain under extreme heat or drought conditions. Still, this represents an improvement compared to last year, when more regions were considered at elevated risk.

Grid operators are also seeing measurable improvements in regions with high levels of renewable energy and storage. In parts of the Midwest and Great Plains, for example, increased solar and battery deployment has helped lower projected risk levels heading into the summer.

Experts cited in the report argue that this trend reflects a broader shift in how reliability is being achieved. Rather than relying on aging fossil fuel infrastructure, modern grid stability is increasingly being supported by faster-to-build, lower-cost technologies like solar power and battery storage, especially during periods of peak demand.

As heat waves become more intense and electricity demand continues to rise, the combination of solar energy and battery storage is emerging as a key tool for keeping the grid stable, flexible, and resilient.

Credit: This post is based on reporting by Jeff St. John, Canary Media, May 26, 2026.