After powering a year of tremendous progress, the industry has a bright future ahead
It has been a landmark year for Battery Council International (BCI) and the entire U.S. battery manufacturing industry. From historic policy wins to groundbreaking research collaborations, BCI continues to lead the charge in advancing energy storage technologies that strengthen America’s energy independence, economic resilience, and environmental stewardship.
BCI’s achievements in 2025 reaffirm the organization’s leadership in powering the next generation of energy storage. As the U.S. battery industry continues to grow and evolve, BCI remains steadfast in its mission — ensuring that American battery manufacturing is safe, sustainable, and globally competitive.
Here’s a look back at five major achievements that defined BCI’s year of impact and innovation.
In a powerful affirmation of America’s commitment to domestic energy manufacturing, Congress and President Trump acted decisively in 2025 to preserve the Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credits for battery manufacturing as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4.
BCI fought long and hard on behalf of our members on this issue, and the final legislation was a vital recognition of the battery industry’s strategic importance to U.S. competitiveness and national security, and the ubiquitous need for batteries. The 45X credits have already spurred billions in domestic investment and created thousands of high-quality jobs across the nation.
The preservation of these manufacturing credits sends a powerful message that America is committed to building and maintaining the world’s most advanced battery manufacturing ecosystem. These credits don’t just support individual companies, they strengthen our entire domestic supply chain and national security.
Another big policy milestone was the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) designating lead as a critical mineral — a long-overdue acknowledgment of its essential role in America’s economy and infrastructure.
As the foundation of virtually all automotive batteries and a key material supporting communications, defense, and energy systems, lead’s new designation ensures stronger policy support for domestic recycling and production.
BCI had worked tirelessly on this issue since the first critical minerals list was published in 2018, advocating for the inclusion of lead because of its essential role in batteries. This year’s designation of lead as a critical mineral will help companies invest in production with confidence and support the world-class recycling network that keeps this critical resource onshore in North America.
When BCI established our Flow Battery Industry Group (FBIG) in 2023, it was because we knew this innovative energy storage solution deserved more attention. We’ve built on the initial success of the FBIG in many ways over the last two years, but perhaps most publicly by hosting Flow Batteries North America (FBNA) — the first-ever conference in North America dedicated solely to flow battery technology.
Held in Chicago from October 27-29 in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the event convened over 150 leaders from across the energy ecosystem — utilities, researchers, manufacturers, and investors — to explore the frontier of long-duration energy storage.
To have a crowd that big in our first year says a lot about the promise of this emerging battery technology, and the importance of BCI in facilitating discussions about commercialization and innovation in energy storage.
Stakeholders from leading energy storage companies and three national labs began collaborating in earnest in 2025 as part of the Consortium for Lead Battery Leadership, which is a public-private, pre-competitive research program managed by Battery Council International (BCI).
This effort aims to develop the next generation of lead batteries for grid-support applications through a research-driven focus on battery life, capacity, and cost-effectiveness.
Beyond the Consortium for Lead Battery Leadership, BCI continues to accelerate private-sector innovation in advanced battery science through its American Battery Research Group (ABRG). In 2025, ABRG’s industry-funded research focused on novel “expander” molecules — or crystallization aids — that enhance the charge and discharge performance of lead-based batteries.
These collaborative efforts, involving Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Toledo, are driving breakthroughs that will improve battery performance, extend lifecycles, and reduce environmental impact.
BCI never loses sight of the people and communities that make our members strong. BCI one again held our bi-annual EHS Conference in Anaheim on September 17-18, drawing roughly 100 participants from across the U.S. battery manufacturing and recycling sector. The meeting is the largest dedicated forum for EHS professionals from lead-using industries, and aims to share regulatory insights and support industry-led best practices in the battery industry.
BCI is proud of the strong record of health and safety among our members. But we’re also driven to raise the bar for everyone to ensure the best-in-class practices of North America’s battery industry are shared around the world.
That’s why in 2025 we launched the Lead Battery 360° Certification (LB360) program — an international initiative promoting responsible sourcing and production practices in partnership with sister trade associations around in the world.
The first cohort of eight facilities from Clarios, East Penn Manufacturing, Ecobat, and Boliden joined the program this year, committing to rigorous third-party assurance and continuous improvement under the LB360° Code.
We’re eager to bring more partners on board in the years to come, and to build on the industry’s record of continuous improvement in EHS practices worldwide.
There’s clearly a lot for BCI and our members to be proud of over the last year. From advancing policy to promoting innovation to supporting a sense of community through our events, it has been a very busy year!
That said, I truly believe the best is yet to come. And BCI is investing in the next generation of industry leaders through our member training offerings, and the inaugural class of BCI Foundation scholarship recipients. As we close our 101st year of operation as the battery industry’s leading trade association, we are energized by our successes and eager to build on this industry’s legacy of success.
Thank you for your support of BCI in our mission, and I look forward to your continued partnership in 2026.
