Lithium-Ion Batteries

What Makes Certain Goods Strategic?

2020-05-15T19:53:01-04:00

Interest in revitalizing U.S. manufacturing combined with COVID-19 supply chain disruptions is driving new action in Washington to support strategic industries and protect strategic supply chains.  The Wall Street Journal recently reported Intel’s offer to partner with the Pentagon in building a silicon chip foundry in the United States.  Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. just announced plans to build a chip factory in Arizona based on unspecified incentives from the federal government.  NAATBatt believes that a federal initiative to support domestic manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries may soon be announced as well. While NAATBatt can be expected to endorse any initiative to [...]

What Makes Certain Goods Strategic?2020-05-15T19:53:01-04:00

The Next Stimulus Package Should Focus on Lithium Battery Infrastructure

2020-04-03T21:32:17-04:00

During a recent telephone meeting of the NAATBatt Strategic Planning Committee, one committee member noted that the next stage of the COVID-19 stimulus package was likely to include investments in national transportation infrastructure.  The committee member suggested that NAATBatt advocate for allocating part of those new investment to building up the lithium battery supply chain in the United States. I have argued in this column on many occasions that lithium-based battery technology is one of the most important technologies of the 21st Century.  Countries that control that technology will have the inside track on leadership in the development and manufacture [...]

The Next Stimulus Package Should Focus on Lithium Battery Infrastructure2020-04-03T21:32:17-04:00

Are Lithium-Ion Batteries a Strategic Technology?

2020-02-24T03:01:00-05:00

One of the most interesting sessions during the NAATBatt 2020 annual meeting was the Industry Leaders Roundtable: How To Make the U.S. a Leader in Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing.  The session featured a discussion among government and industry leaders in energy storage about what the United States might do better to support the domestic manufacturing of lithium-ion battery cells. The panelists generally agreed on a number of points:  that building a supply chain is important but building demand for the batteries may be more important;  that the U.S. does not have the same tools to work with that China does; and [...]

Are Lithium-Ion Batteries a Strategic Technology?2020-02-24T03:01:00-05:00

Testimony to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling

2019-07-19T23:48:15-04:00

I had the honor of testifying on July 17 before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the subject of lithium-ion battery recycling in the United States.  The Senate's interest in the topic is timely, given NAATBatt's just ended workshop on the same subject in Buffalo, New York.  A copy of my oral testimony is reproduced below.  The longer and more detailed written version of my testimony can be seen by clicking here: Oral Remarks Good morning Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, and members of the Committee.  My name is James Greenberger.  I am the Executive Director of [...]

Testimony to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling2019-07-19T23:48:15-04:00

Interest in Workshop on Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Exceeds Expectations

2019-07-13T01:41:13-04:00

This past week in Buffalo, New York, NAATBatt hosted a Workshop on Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling.  The purpose of the workshop was to focus industry attention on the next great challenge in vehicle electrification:  safely, responsibly and profitably disposing of lithium-ion batteries at the end of their useful lives. Today lithium-ion batteries reaching the end of their useful lives are not being recycled in any significant quantities in North America.  The cost of transporting those used batteries to recycling facilities, and of recycling facilities processing those batteries, exceeds in almost all cases the profit that any recycler can expect to make from [...]

Interest in Workshop on Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Exceeds Expectations2019-07-13T01:41:13-04:00

Testimony Before the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission

2019-06-25T02:16:31-04:00

On June 7, 2019, I had the privilege of testifying in Washington, D.C. before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on the subject of China's growing dominance of lithium-ion battery manufacturing.  The written statement that accompanied my testimony is reproduced below:   Introduction My name is James Greenberger and I am the Executive Director of NAATBatt International.  NAATBatt is a trade association of advanced battery manufacturers and their supply chain partners doing business in North America.  Today, NAATBatt has 110 corporate members, including major automobile manufacturers, electric utilities, equipment manufacturers, battery cell and pack manufacturers, chemical companies, energy materials suppliers and [...]

Testimony Before the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission2019-06-25T02:16:31-04:00

A Sobering Reminder of the Battery Safety Challenge

2019-04-26T19:22:57-04:00

NAATBatt International was shaken by news of the fire and explosion last week at Arizona Public Service’s McMicken Energy Storage facility in Surprise, Arizona.  Four firefighters were hurt in the explosion, two of them seriously.  First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and their families. The McMicken incident hit particularly close to home for NAATBatt.  A little more than five weeks ago, NAATBatt members toured the McMicken facility at the invitation of APS.  The facility appeared to be state-of-the-art and well-maintained.  It is hard to imagine what exactly went wrong. An investigation of the McMicken incident [...]

A Sobering Reminder of the Battery Safety Challenge2019-04-26T19:22:57-04:00
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