A system and method for optimizing a battery energy storage system (BESS), can involve: inputting data to an echo state network, the data relating to an operation of a battery energy storage system and including one or more of load data, renewable energy data, non-renewable energy data, carbon emissions, carbon credits and a weighted cost of energy; and optimizing the operation of the battery energy storage system based on the data input to and processed by the echo state network and which relates to the operation of the battery energy storage system.