Thermal energy storage provider Antora Energy has closed a $550 million Series C funding round to accelerate deployment of its thermal battery systems for industrial facilities and data centers in the United States. While not a lithium-ion BESS, the raise is significant for the broader storage sector as it demonstrates investor willingness to fund alternative long-duration storage technologies. Antora’s systems store energy as heat and deliver both electricity and industrial process heat, addressing a segment of the market that electrochemical batteries cannot serve. The funding round, one of the largest for a non-lithium storage technology this year, signals growing diversification in the U.S. storage investment landscape beyond conventional battery chemistries.

Power firm Axpo and independent power producer Zelestra have entered into a long-term tolling agreement for a battery energy storage project in northern Italy. This marks Zelestra’s second such tolling deal in July, underscoring the company’s aggressive expansion into the Italian storage market. Tolling structures are becoming increasingly common in European BESS project finance, as they provide offtake certainty while allowing developers to retain merchant upside exposure. Italy’s storage market is accelerating due to the country’s high solar penetration, grid congestion in the south, and regulatory reforms enabling standalone storage participation in energy markets. The Axpo-Zelestra deal adds to the growing pipeline of contracted Italian BESS capacity.

Greenvolt Power has inaugurated the 200 MW Turośń Kościelna Battery Energy Storage Facility in Poland, with energy trading and optimization services to be provided by Entrix. The project is one of the largest operational battery storage facilities in Poland and represents a significant milestone for the country’s emerging storage market. Poland’s grid is undergoing rapid transformation as coal retirements accelerate and renewable targets tighten, creating urgent demand for flexible capacity. The Turośń Kościelna facility will provide frequency regulation, capacity, and energy arbitrage services to the Polish power market. Entrix’s involvement as optimizer highlights the growing role of specialized energy traders in maximizing BESS revenue stacks in European markets.

The Maryland Public Service Commission held a public hearing on Round 1 of the Next Generation Energy Act, reviewing four transmission-connected battery storage proposals totaling 1,240 MW. The projects include the 500 MW / 6-hour Oystercatcher Energy Storage Project, the 300 MW / 4-hour Fourth Quarter BESS Project, the 400 MW / 4-hour Chalk Point Storage Project, and the 40 MW / 4-hour Jade Meadow III Battery Storage Project. The Commission is expected to issue decisions on Energy Storage Capacity Credits by October 1, 2026. This proceeding represents one of the most significant state-level storage procurement processes in the U.S. this year and could establish precedent for how transmission-connected storage is valued and compensated in the PJM region.

Veolia has been selected to operate and maintain a 350 MW microgrid powering an AI data center campus in New Albany, Ohio, which includes a 430 MWh battery energy storage system. The project highlights the convergence of AI-driven data center load growth and behind-the-meter / front-of-meter storage deployment. As hyperscalers seek reliable, low-carbon power for AI training and inference workloads, integrated microgrids with large-scale BESS are emerging as a preferred solution. Veolia’s selection as O&M provider reflects the growing need for specialized asset management expertise in complex hybrid systems. The project also illustrates how AIDC-related demand is becoming a tangible driver for U.S. storage deployment beyond traditional renewable pairing applications.

Independent power producer Eolian has commenced construction on the Flint Grid, a 200 MW / 1.06 GWh energy storage project located in Jersey Township, Licking County, Ohio. The project represents one of the larger standalone battery storage developments in the PJM interconnection region and is designed to provide capacity, energy arbitrage, and ancillary services to the Midwest grid. Ohio has seen accelerating BESS development activity as developers target the state’s favorable interconnection queue positions and growing demand from data center load growth. The groundbreaking signals a transition from permitting and financing to execution, with the project expected to contribute to PJM’s resource adequacy requirements upon completion.