Scaling Clean: Chris Finley, CCO of TruGrid

U.S. utility-scale battery storage capacity has grown more than fivefold since 2021. Storage is no longer a niche add-on to power generation. It is becoming a core part of grid reliability and resilience. 

But as storage scales, so do the risks.

Unlike traditional generation assets, battery storage systems sit at the intersection of hardware, software, controls, finance, labor, and operations. Dozens of stakeholders touch a single project, and success depends on how well those pieces are integrated.

That “messy middle” was the focus of my latest Scaling Clean conversation with Chris Finley, Chief Commercial Officer at TruGrid. Chris has spent more than 20 years building utility-scale solar and storage projects across 16 countries, totaling over 8 gigawatts of deployed capacity. Today, he works with developers, asset owners, and utilities to solve the problems that quietly derail storage projects, long before commissioning begins.

Here are three lessons from our conversation that stood out.

Most storage problems live in the gaps.

Storage failures emerge in the overlaps and blind spots between stakeholders. OEMs, controls providers, EPCs, financiers, and asset owners are each focused on their own slice of scope and risk. Individually, those perspectives make sense. But collectively, they create gaps, especially around controls, software integration, commissioning responsibility, and performance expectations.

Without a clear integration plan before construction starts, those gaps turn into lost revenue once a project is live. Decisions that could have been resolved on paper suddenly become schedule delays, change orders, or underperforming assets.

Storage projects are won by coordinating the system as a whole, early.

"We are going to be your quarterback with everybody involved and help facilitate an integration plan upfront. Before a shovel ever hits the ground, we’ll have a commissioning plan that is proactive and ready to go.”

Labor may be the biggest constraint ahead.

Chris flagged a different bottleneck for the industry that’s only getting worse: skilled labor.

Battery storage is scaling at the same time as massive infrastructure investment across the U.S. All of it draws from the same limited pool of skilled tradespeople. Even well-designed projects can struggle if teams can’t staff safely and at scale.

“It's hard to find really good folks that are willing to get out there and do the wrenching. That is a systemic issue for the U.S. at this point.”

Speak less, listen more

In storage, this mindset matters. Developers, asset owners, and utilities don’t need another partner who shows up with predetermined answers. They need partners who ask better questions, listen long enough to understand the real objective, and design around it.

“If you can coalesce a mindset of asking more questions, versus providing more statements, I think that's a safe place to be in any and all conversations you have with anyone.”

Why This Conversation Matters

Battery storage is moving from early adoption to mainstream infrastructure.

Integration, commissioning, labor planning, and risk alignment are strategic decisions that determine whether projects perform as intended. The most valuable insights often come from those operating across the full lifecycle of a project.

Below are some of Chris’ reflections:

• Integration planning has to happen before construction, not during commissioning.

• With infrastructure buildout accelerating, lack of skilled labor may become a major bottleneck.

• Ask better questions early, get stakeholders on the same page, and avoid expensive assumptions.

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