New Zealand’s Meridian Energy has received a draft decision proposing to ease access restrictions on contingent hydro storage at Lake Pūkaki.

Battery storage and pumped hydro projects in India, in this edition of news in brief from around the world in energy storage.

In this interview with ESN Premium, Keith Lovegrove of ITP Thermal warns that Australia’s energy storage sector risks over-reliance on lithium-ion batteries.

Developer Rye Development are partnering with Kentucky, US utility companies Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU), on a 266MW/2,128MWh pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) project.

The NSW government has endorsed 16 projects worth a collective AU$34.4 billion through its newly established Investment Delivery Authority.

The NSW government has declared two pumped hydro projects totalling 22,000MWh of storage capacity as critical infrastructure.

By the end of December 2025, China’s cumulative installed capacity of new energy storage technologies including lithium-ion reached 144.7GW, representing an 85% year-on-year rise.

Three energy storage projects have reached key milestones, including pumped hydro, thermal storage, and geothermal alternatives to battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Two pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) projects have been submitted for approval under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

While coal and gas power plants grapple with cost increases, Australia’s battery storage sector delivers a different story, with costs plummeting across all durations.