UK needs to get “obsessed” with energy storage, says ESA founder

Great Britain must become “obsessed” with energy storage or suffer the pitfalls seen in other markets, according to a new UK trade association for the sector.

ESA CEO Jason Howlett told ESS News that until now, the UK market has been focused on generating renewable energy, “which is fantastic” but warned that a greater focus on energy storage is urgently needed.

“We’re talking about putting heat pumps and solar on houses, but no storage. This is one of the challenges we’ve got. The [UK government] industrial strategy talks about more generation with wind, onshore and offshore, but last year we spent [GBP] 400 million ($540 million) in curtailment fees. So we were paying people [GBP] 400 million not to produce energy and at the same time we spent [GBP] 520 million on gas when we were paying people not to produce,” said Howlett.

The ESA founder said the United Kingdom can learn from the experiences of markets such as Australia, where he argued the slower pace of storage deployment compared to solar has resulted in negative pricing and the need to quickly invest in battery energy storage.

“We see what’s going on in the world. The UK is following the same path by being obsessed by generation without thinking about the more holistic, wider energy strategy,” Howlett said.

Launched in June 2025, the ESA has already signed a number of leading companies to its membership including Sunsynk, Octopus Energy, and GivEnergy, as well as Durham University and Keele University. Howlett brings experience from heading top UK businesses in the sector, including stints as managing director of distributor Segen, and as CEO of GivEnergy.

The ESA launch event was held at Westminster and provided an opportunity to educate members of parliament on energy storage, according to Howlett, with support from association chair Luciana Berger, a former MP who now sits in the House of Lords.

“A number of MPs came and just did not understand – as you would expect,” Howlett said, adding that discussions quickly brought MPs up to speed. “They can understand it. They can see we’ve got a respected ally in Australia that has made this mistake and we are on exactly the same path.”

MPs want to know more, Howlett said, meaning it’s “really important” the ESA lobbies on energy storage. He added that the association is “technology agnostic” and would welcome members from across market segments.

Fortunes may already be improving for storage, in policy terms. The launch of ESA was followed by the publication of the UK government’s Clean Flexibility Roadmap in July. The roadmap includes a commitment to remove financial barriers to electric vehicle and residential battery energy storage owners exporting electricity to the grid. The roadmap also details the continuing work electricity system operator NESO is engaged in to reform grid connections, prioritizing the most mature grid-scale battery projects in a bid to meet clean power generation targets.

Howlett welcomed the flexibility roadmap, describing it as a “vital framework” for delivering a clean, secure and flexible electricity system to meet and net-zero targets, and said the roadmap was a “potential watershed moment” for energy storage.

Howlett added that the “likely inclusion” of energy storage in the UK government’s Warm Homes Plan – expected later in 2025 – means energy storage is being recognized for the “critical role” it will play in the future.  

“The roadmap sets out a clear, time-bound plan to unlock the full value of clean flexibility outlining how Great Britain can develop a smarter, consumer-focused energy system,” he said.