During National Clean Energy Week 2024, BCI President & Executive Director Roger Miksad joined Sean McMahon on the Renewable Energy SmartPod podcast to explain how batteries of various chemistries are advancing to power things like data centers, EVs and microgrids.
Miksad also discussed some policies that the battery sector is watching closely, as well as the hard work from BCI and its members over the last few decades to advance recycling and develop a circular economy for battery materials and components.
“Climate week is a crucial platform for fostering collaboration and driving innovation across multiple industries in pursuit of a common goal for the wider renewable energy sector, it’s an important opportunity for all of us to showcase things we’re working on and our progress in aligning on our global goals for the battery industry. Specifically, these gatherings are vital for highlighting the critical role that batteries play in enabling clean energy transitions,” Miksad said in the podcast.
“I think it’s an incredibly critical time right now, in particular, policymakers to step above the political fray and focus on the growth of clean energy into the future, regardless of politics and orientation. It’s a trend that has to continue. And for us at BCI, we think batteries play a role in this, no matter how those policies roll out.”
Miksad also addressed the massive public and private sector investments the battery industry is currently experiencing. He points to the various incentives outlined from Department of Energy (DOE) under the Bipartisan infrastructure Law for battery manufacturing and recycling, and more.
“I think you can only look at the announcement just last Friday from the Department of Energy announcing another $3 billion in government incentives under the bipartisan infrastructure law for battery manufacturing and recycling…”
Those investments are paired with… more than $16 billion of private commitments matching those government funds, and those numbers will just continue to grow up. Those commitments and those incentives from the government are working.”
