When Batteries Became Rockstars

Remember 2016? The year Pokémon Go had people chasing virtual creatures while energy executives chased something far more tangible - the Holy Grail of grid-scale storage. The US Energy Storage Summit that year wasn't just another conference; it became the Woodstock of battery technology. While we don't have the exact attendance figures (someone forgot to save the digital attendance sheet), industry veterans still talk about the Tesla Powerwall 2 prototype that arrived with more buzz than a swarm of those augmented reality Pidgeys.

Storage Solutions That Outlived Fidget Spinners

The real showstoppers weren't the temporary exhibition hall novelties, but technologies that proved their staying power:

• Flow battery demos that looked like mad scientist projects but promised 20+ year lifespans
• First-gen virtual power plant concepts that seemed as futuristic as SpaceX landings
• A thermal storage system using molten salt that made coffee brewers jealous of its heat retention

The Policy Panel That Actually Changed Things

While most conference panels fade into obscurity faster than a Snapchat story, the 2016 summit's FERC regulatory discussion directly influenced what became California's mandatory storage procurement targets. It's like watching a legislative version of the "butterfly effect" - except with less chaos theory and more boring (but impactful) rate design talk.

2016's Crystal Ball Predictions

Some 2016 projections aged like fine wine, others like milk left in a Phoenix parking lot:

• Nailed it: "Storage will become transmission infrastructure" (Enter 2024's TBD-BESS hybrid projects)
• Missed by miles: "Lead-acid will dominate off-grid systems through 2030" (Cue lithium's price drop mic drop)

The Trade Show Floor Time Capsule

Before "blockchain-enabled DER platforms" became buzzword bingo winners, exhibitors pitched:

• Solar+storage kits that required an engineering degree to install
• Zinc-air batteries promising "air-powered magic" (still pending)
• Enphase's first storage attempt that made later IQ Battery models look like iPhone 15s

Why Retro Matters in the Age of AI Grids

While we're busy with AI-optimized BESS controls and second-life EV battery farms, 2016's summit offers crucial lessons:

• Early adopters proved storage economics before Lazard's LCOE reports made it cool
• Regulatory battles fought then are why we have storage-as-transmission models today
• The "storage is too expensive" mantra died here before resurrecting as zombie rhetoric in state legislatures

Next time someone calls your nanogrid project "futuristic," remind them the blueprint got drafted when people still argued about Hillary's emails. The 2016 summit didn't just predict the storage revolution - it handed out the shovels we're still using to bury outdated grid infrastructure.