Impact of U.S. Legislation and Tariffs on Business Strategy
The OB3 legislation extends investment tax credits for stand-alone storage through 2034, supporting Fluence's U.S. strategy.
New restrictions on Chinese equipment eligibility and domestic content requirements are shaping supply chain and project planning.
Tariff reductions from 155.9% to 40.9% on Chinese battery components have revived U.S. contract activity, indicating policy influence on market dynamics.
The company is actively engaged with suppliers to ensure compliance with OB3 and avoid additional capital expenditures.
Management views the FEOC restrictions as a market confirmation rather than a threat, reinforcing their domestic content focus.
The upcoming treasury rules are expected to be workable, and the company is preparing to meet compliance deadlines without needing additional equity.
Adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed to $16.4 million from $20.1 million year-over-year.
Adjusted net loss per share improved to $0.95 from $1.74, excluding noncash impairments and restructuring costs.
Backlog grew 4% to $1.24 billion, including $24 million product backlog and $7.7 million service backlog from CGN agreement.
Loss from operations widened to $95.4 million in Q3 2025 from $33.6 million in Q3 2024, driven by $64.5 million noncash impairment and $4.1 million restructuring expenses.
Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $92.5 million, or $3.78 per share, compared to $33.5 million, or $1.99 per share, in the prior year quarter.
Product revenues surged to $26 million from $0.3 million, driven by module deliveries to GGE and Ameresco contracts.
Service agreement revenues increased to $3.1 million from $1.4 million, mainly from GGE long-term service agreement.
Total revenues increased 97% year-over-year to $46.7 million in Q3 2025 from $23.7 million in Q3 2024.
Strategic Pivot to Long-Duration Energy Storage and Market Focus
ESS has shifted its strategic focus towards long-duration energy storage solutions, emphasizing the Energy Base product as a core growth driver.
The company highlighted the limitations of short-duration storage and lithium-ion technologies, positioning itself as a leader in scalable, safe, and sustainable long-duration storage.
Management noted a significant increase in market demand, with proposal activity exceeding 1.1 gigawatt hours since the Energy Base launch in February.
The company’s relationships with Tier 1 customers and utilities are foundational to its long-term growth strategy in the evolving energy transition market.
ESS’s pivot includes a focus on building a commercial pipeline with a growing number of RFPs and strategic partnerships, signaling a shift from project-based to pipeline-based revenue.
The company aims to convert commercial momentum into multiyear agreements, targeting revenue growth starting in 2026.