An energy storage standard is a regulatory mandate or target directing utilities or load-serving entities to build – or contract for rights to use – a specified amount of electric energy storage. Requirements may be stated in units of MW or MWh. The difference between a target and a mandate is that mandates include financial liabilities for regulated entities that fail to provide the required amount of storage. Energy storage standards are intended to foster the growth of energy storage on the grid until technologies and markets evolve to the point of supporting storage without regulatory intervention.
Examples of state energy storage standards as of 2021:
| State | Target/mandate |
| California | 1,325 MW by 2020 (target) |
| Oregon | Minimum 10 MWh, up to 1% peak load by 2020 (mandate) |
| Massachusetts | 200 MWh by 2020; 1,000 MWh by 2025 (target) |
| New York | 1,500 MW by 2025; 3,000 MW by 2030 (target) |
| New Jersey | 600 MW by 2021; 2,000 MW by 2030 (target) |
| Nevada | 1,000 MW by 2030 (target) |
| Virginia | 3,100 MW by 2035 (mandate) |