Catalyst with Shayle Kann Battery booms and the rise of flexibility [partner content]
Mar 30, 2026
Sean McAvoy, President and Chief Product Officer at GridBeyond North America, builds AI that connects distributed assets to electricity markets. He discusses turning battery patents into market-facing AI, integrating site controls with optimization, and how data centers and solar+storage factor into grid flexibility. He also covers forecasting, saturation, and strategies for faster interconnection.
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Battery Market Cycles Are Predictable
- Battery markets follow a clear boom-and-saturation cycle where floods of capacity drive prices down and then later recover as demand outpaces supply.
- Sean McAvoy cites the UK, ERCOT, Japan, and Australia as stages in this cycle, with price spikes then declines as capacity proliferates.
Tighten Forecasting And Follow Capacity Signals
- Improve minute-level forecasting and season-specific models to monetize batteries when market spreads are narrow.
- Focus sales where demand outpaces supply like PJM and MISO and follow capacity price signals and local incentives.
Data Centers Offer Limited Flexibility
- Data centers can provide flexibility but are not a silver bullet; they prioritize firm baseload and uptime over curtailment.
- Curtailment is feasible mainly for batch workloads, crypto miners, or via job reordering and sister-site job migration.