Today, cheap solar panels and wind turbines can produce clean energy as never before. Yet, those green energy solutions are still held back by forces of nature. What do you do when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining? Energy storage is the answer to that problem but, as of yet, no company has brought it at scale to America’s energy grid.
All that could change quickly. The White House has made commitments to a net-zero carbon goal. Plus, some states are also making efforts to develop energy storage solutions.
The bottom line is that the need for energy storage in America is growing immensely. In 2020 it reached 1.5 Gigawatts, and by 2025 it is projected to reach 30 Gigawatts. This rapid expansion gives energy storage companies the potential to skyrocket, and you’ll want to be onboard when they do. Here are 3 such energy storage stocks to look out for.
Tesla (TSLA stock) Motors store in Piazza Gae Aulenti square in Milan, Italy
Source: Zigres / Shutterstock.com
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) may not seem like an energy storage stock. However, its secret to success lies not in cars, but in lithium-ion batteries. Tesla has managed to scale production of these more than any of its competitors. Plus, in addition to cars, Tesla sells these batteries directly to customers as the Tesla Powerwall.
The Powerwall is marketed directly to consumers, not to industrial-scale energy providers. However, as Tesla continues to scale up production, Powerwall costs are coming down. With governments continuing to add onerous regulations to carbon-intensive electricity, the tipping point where renewable-plus-batteries becomes extremely cheap compared to other sources could be reached very soon. Once we reach that point, expect other energy providers to flood into the battery market which could be big news for Tesla’s battery sales.
Tesla stock remains volatile of course but, for those who can hold through the volatility, TSLA has proven it can pay big time. Tesla’s earnings for Q1 2022 were $23.3 billion. The Powerwall and other storage solutions made up just $1.5 billion of that. Yet, energy storage revenue grew 148% year-over-year, faster than the company as a whole. Tesla is still a car company first and foremost but, with America’s increasing need for energy storage, Powerwall could drive Tesla’s value ever-higher.
Enphase Energy (ENPH)
mobile phone screen with enphase energy logo on it to represent renewable energy stocks
Source: IgorGolovniov / Shutterstock.com
Enphase Energy (NASDAQ:ENPH) was one of the hottest solar stocks of the past decade. It grew by leaps and bounds through the sale of micro-inverters which turn the DC power of a solar panel into AC power for a house. Enphase has also set its eyes on energy storage with IQ smart batteries.
Enphase has recently achieved explosive growth, in Q1 2023 the company achieved $726 million in revenue, up from $441 million in Q1 2022. Buyer beware, that growth may be slowing, analysts expect revenue to be flat in Q2 2023 due to macroeconomic conditions in the United States. However, if you’re bullish on American growth, Enphase could be the play for you.
As a pure-renewables play, Enphase makes a lot of sense. Renewables-plus-storage has been the holy grail of decarbonization advocates for a generation, and Enphase has been one of the most successful companies to actually do it. As an energy company in general, Enphase also makes a lot of sense. The technology for solar panels continues to improve, while hydrocarbons are only getting more expensive. Additionally, countries are becoming more and more disdainful of carbon-based fuels in general. Enphase is perfectly placed to profit from all these trends.
You may have missed Enphase when it went up over 3000% in the last 5 years, but it still likely has higher to go, so keep a look out.
NextEra Energy (NEE)
The NextEra Energy (NEE) logo is displayed on a smartphone screen.
Source: IgorGolovniov/Shutterstock.com
Unlike Tesla and Enphase, who sell directly to homes and consumers, NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) is building infrastructure-scale power systems. The company manages to deliver power and energy storage at a price cheaper than what almost anyone can do with their own home.
NextEra proudly claims to have more energy storage capacity than any company in the United States, with more systems coming online all the time. That said, NextEra is not a pure renewables company. They also use natural gas for power, but their focus is on renewables.
NextEra’s Q1 2023 report shows $6.7 billion in revenue and $1.8 billion in net income. Up from $2.9 billion in revenue and $698 million in net loss in Q1 2022. Yet, as with other energy storage stocks, macroeconomic factors could override future earnings. Still, their continued growth in both the number of installed generators and the amount of storage capacity makes them a front-runner in America’s decarbonization fight. That makes them one of the best energy storage stocks to look out for in 2023.
On the date of publication, John Blankenhorn did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
John Blankenhorn is a neuroscientist at Emory University. He has significant experience in biochemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research.
