Three US deals show battery storage moving into data centre and grid infrastructure

Battery energy storage is increasingly being folded into broader infrastructure strategies, according to three recent US announcements. They also arrive as questions grow over whether data centre-linked developments serve the public or mainly private interests.

The sentiment that energy-intensive infrastructure should contribute to the energy it needs is not confined to one technology provider. In July, Sabooh Whitelaw, associate vice-president, energy and utilities at AirTrunk, told the Australian Clean Energy Summit 2026 in Sydney: "New energy-intensive infrastructure should contribute to the new energy it requires for its growth. It should pay its way, and its development should create value for the broader community."

Who benefits?

The shift from financial to infrastructure investment raises the question of who gains from these projects.

Kasia Tarczynska of Good Jobs First, a research organisation focused on corporate subsidies and economic development, tracks data centre investment. She told Energy-Storage.news that when companies cite billions in private investment, "These are private investments, the government only gets a share through taxes."

She added: "If a local government provides 90% of property tax abatements, they're basically giving up 90% of tax revenue, the benefits that they would get from that project."

That raises the question of whether infrastructure investments, including BESS supporting data centres and AI workloads, serve public needs or mainly benefit private corporations while reducing public revenue.

Linxon, Hitachi Energy and FTC Solar sign MOU

EPC firm Linxon, Hitachi Energy and US tracker manufacturer FTC Solar have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) covering solar and energy storage projects in North America.

Announced on 29 September, the MOU sets a framework for the companies to jointly pursue utility-scale solar and BESS projects in North America and "other mutually agreed markets". The companies described the deal as "scaling the infrastructure" needed for renewables growth, grid resilience and reliable power.

Linxon would act as primary EPC integrator and market-facing contractor, providing EPC, commissioning and project execution services. Hitachi Energy would supply utility-scale solar inverters, power conversion systems (PCS) for BESS, and the automation and control systems needed to operate the plants. FTC Solar would provide trackers, racking systems and related balance of system (BOS) solutions.

The companies said the approach reflects "a shared belief that no single company can scale the energy transition alone".

They claim the benefits for customers include:

• faster project development and delivery through integrated planning;
• improved supply chain certainty and manufacturing slot visibility;
• greater standardisation across solar, BESS and substation designs;
• reduced integration risk between major equipment packages;
• improved bankability and schedule predictability; and
• enhanced scalability for multi-site and programmatic deployments.

The companies expect the framework to support a growing project pipeline in which integrated technology selection, early supply chain alignment and standardised EPC execution can create measurable advantages for customers.

Samsung commits US$1 billion to KKR's Helix

Helix Digital Infrastructure, Samsung and KKR announced on 28 September that Samsung has committed US$1 billion to Helix.

Helix was formed by KKR through its long-duration capital fund. It will use the funds to support a strategy of investing in and delivering data centres, power, connectivity and related infrastructure for growing AI demand.

Samsung's commitment builds on more than US$10 billion committed at launch by founding investors including KKR, the Kuwait Investment Authority, Nvidia and Vistra.

Helix said it expects to explore opportunities to use Samsung's capabilities in areas including advanced technology, construction, energy storage and cooling to deliver AI infrastructure at scale.

TerraFlow and DG Matrix pair VRFB with solid-state transformer technology

Vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) developer TerraFlow Energy and solid-state PCS developer DG Matrix will deploy an integrated VRFB and solid-state transformer (SST) architecture in the US, they announced on 28 September.

The initial deployment will combine TerraFlow's long-duration uninterruptible power system (LDUPS) with DG Matrix's Interport SST technology and Dell PowerEdge servers. This will put a new data centre power architecture into operation against real compute loads.

The companies noted that high-performance compute can change power demand rapidly, pushing that volatility back through electrical infrastructure built for more predictable loads. The architecture is designed to manage power between the grid, on-site generation, BESS and compute in real time.

TerraFlow says its LDUPS combines the millisecond response needed for UPS functionality with hours of energy capacity, allowing it to buffer changes in compute demand continuously. DG Matrix's Interport provides programmable solid-state power conversion, routing and control between power sources and the compute load. Together, the technologies are designed to absorb rapid demand changes before they reach the grid and other upstream infrastructure.

The commercial agreement sets a framework for taking the integrated architecture into data centre projects beyond the initial deployment. The companies said they are targeting applications where AI and high-performance computing require greater control over how power is delivered, managed and exchanged with the grid.

Source: April Bonner, "Major US partnerships may signal battery storage's infrastructure era", Energy-Storage.news, 1 October 2026. https://www.energy-storage.news/major-us-partnerships-may-signal-battery-storages-infrastructure-era/