At the end of 2023, the U.S. had 469 operating hybrid plants over 1 MW, up 21% from the previous year. Together, these plants accounted for nearly 49 GW of generation and over 11 GWh of storage capacity. Unsurprisingly, PV+storage dominates the hybrid space, accounting for more than 60% of all hybrid plants in operation. In fact, storage capacity in PV+storage hybrids now rivals that of standalone battery systems in the U.S., highlighting the increasing role of hybridisation in grid resilience and energy market optimisation.
Development pipelines also point to sustained growth. By the end of 2023, interconnection queues included 599 GW of proposed hybrid solar capacity - over half of all solar projects in development. Wind hybridisation is also on the rise, with 51 GW in the pipeline. Meanwhile, over half of all proposed battery capacity is now tied to hybrid projects. Although many of these queued projects may not reach completion, the scale of interest is unmistakable. In regions like California, 98% of all proposed solar projects are hybrids — a model Europe should closely monitor as it scales up storage to balance intermittent renewables.
From a commercial standpoint, PV+storage power purchase agreement (PPA) prices have seen recent increases. This is partly due to a growing preference for higher battery-to-PV ratios on the U.S. mainland. However, battery costs are also hitting record lows, suggesting that cost pressures may be temporary.
As batteries continue to improve in performance and economics, expect hybrid configurations to increasingly become the default approach for new renewable energy development across multiple markets. For Europe, where decarbonisation targets and grid constraints are driving new thinking, hybrid plants could play a pivotal role. As the U.S. experience shows, co-locating storage with renewables isn’t just technically feasible - it’s increasingly economically compelling.
Hybridisation isn’t just a trend - it’s fast becoming a cornerstone of the future energy system. Europe would do well to take note.