Episode 55: Chris Finley, TruGrid CCO, on What Actually Breaks Battery Storage Projects

Battery storage capacity has grown +5x in the U.S. since 2021. But as storage scales, so does the complexity around controls, labor, and integration. My latest Scaling Clean guest, Chris Finley, Chief Commercial Officer at TruGrid, has spent more than 20 years building utility-scale solar and storage projects across 16 countries, totaling over 8 GW of deployed capacity. At TruGrid, he helps developers, asset owners, and utilities navigate the messy middle of storage deployment, where projects are won or lost long before commissioning.Here are three big takeaways from our conversation:🔹 Most storage issues come from the blind spots between OEMs, controls providers, EPCs, and asset owners. Each stakeholder is focused on their slice of risk. Without clear integration planning before construction, those gaps turn into lost revenue.🔹 Labor may be the biggest constraint ahead. With massive infrastructure buildout competing for the same tradespeople, risk comes down to workforce availability.🔹 Speak less, listen more. You don’t have all the answers, so surround yourself with the people who do and learn as much as you can.