The US state of Massachusetts and the state's electric distribution companies have launched a request for proposals seeking approximately 1 GW of mid-duration BESS, alongside a separate procurement target of 250-300 MW for distribution-connected storage projects (Massachusetts Clean Energy, 31/07/2026).
The participating utilities include Eversource, National Grid and Unitil, which will be responsible for negotiating and executing long-term contracts with selected projects. Proposals will first be screened against eligibility and threshold requirements, before being assessed using quantitative and qualitative criteria. A final review will then evaluate project viability and select cost-effective, reliable and low-risk projects.
Project proposals must be submitted by 9 September 2026, with the announcement of the selected project expected on 27 January 2027. Long-term contracts are scheduled to be executed by 28 April 2027 and submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities for approval on 26 May 2027.
The tender forms part of Massachusetts' broader strategy to procure 5 GW of energy storage capacity by July 2030. The previous solicitation, launched in August 2025, resulted in the selection of projects totalling 1.27 GW of energy storage capacity.
These developments are in line with the US target of carbon-free power generation by 2035 (Enerdata’s Global Energy Research).
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