Elena Energy Brief — Storage hits the 100 GW era, FH Capital buys 75% of JinkoSolar US, and NY SEIA pitches flexible interconnection

The number the desk has been waiting on: per PV Magazine, BloombergNEF's Energy Storage Market Outlook for 1H 2026 confirmed the storage industry has reached the 100 GW era — 112 GW installed in 2025, a 48% increase over 2024, with 307 GWh of batteries deployed worldwide. BloombergNEF has tracked installation records since 2014; this is the year the cumulative numbers cross into mainstream-utility-grid scale rather than niche-grid-services scale. The implication for IRR modeling in storage assets: cycle-life economics are improving faster than originally projected, which extends asset useful-life and improves project NPV. The deal moving the most balance-sheet capital in domestic solar manufacturing: per PV Magazine, FH Capital entered a definitive agreement to acquire a 75.1% majority stake in JinkoSolar's US manufacturing subsidiary. JinkoSolar retains 24.9%. The deal includes a 2 GW solar module manufacturing facility and a growing battery energy storage system business. The structu