An electric power grid requires that the energy input matches the energy output to maintain grid stability. Regulations services adjust the output to meet demand, but the increase of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power requires improved methods for reliable, low-cost services. As the share of renewable power from variable sources, namely solar and wind energy, increases, there is an increasing need for well-designed regulations for grid management and energy storage. Adequate remuneration to incentivize smart grid deployment needs to be established to avoid the risks of under investment. Governments, regulators and utilities need to define the roles and operational boundaries of all relevant stakeholders and set standard for physical and digital assets. In order to promote deployment of energy storage, direct support for storage through mandates and policies remains the most common option to incentivise deployment, but greater emphasis needs to be placed on making regulations transparent and open, and on developing markets for capacity, flexibility and ancillary services so that storage can compete with other technologies and measures. The role of storage in networks remains a contentious issue and regulations will need to evolve to reflect its new functions, including leveraging flexibility from consumer aggregation or grid congestion. Clear and transparent regulatory frameworks are required to identify services that regulated transmission and distribution operators can provide, to avoid competition with power generators. A key issue is storage ownership: in many markets, storage is considered a generation asset and system operators (for transmission as well as distribution) are not allowed to own storage assets. This could be a barrier to transmission and distribution deferral, a high-value application for storage. Some network operators are procuring the services of storage rather than physically owning them. Legacy regulations in many jurisdictions require energy storage systems to pay fees twice – to both draw power from the grid as well as inject power into it. Eliminating this “double charge” of grid tariffs could help build a stronger economic case for energy storage in many markets.