Imagine a group of battery banks that together have enough power to keep all of Texas and California going on a peak summer day. That is what China has built in the space of just five years—and it is just getting started.

With the artificial‑intelligence boom straining power grids, Beijing is betting on large‑scale battery storage banks the size of shipping containers to manage load. The technology is especially valuable because China is heavily investing in solar and wind power, which cannot produce 24‑hour energy.

Battery storage soaks up excess electricity during sunny and windy days and releases it later when it is needed. As recently as five years ago the country’s storage capacity was less than 4 gigawatts; by the first quarter of this year it had surged to around 155 gigawatts.

Beijing said in June it is targeting 300 gigawatts by 2030. Chinese batteries also dominate the U.S. energy‑storage market, raising concerns in Washington about reliance on a rival nation.