WASHINGTON – JULY 14, 2021 – Today DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced the U.S. DOE’s new goals to reduce the cost of grid-scale, long duration energy storage by 90% within the decade. The goals are to achieve breakthroughs that store clean electricity to make it available anytime, anywhere and support more abundant, affordable, and reliable energy solutions. Battery Council International Executive Vice President Roger Miksad offered the following statement:
“The lead battery industry looks forward to working with Secretary Granholm and the DOE to achieve the bold goals set within the Long Duration Storage Shot program. The nation’s electric power industry depends on a wide spectrum of technologies – including lead batteries – for functions ranging from backup power supply during system disruptions to facilitating the integration of power from variable resources such as wind and solar to the electric grid. The lead battery industry is an important partner in a suite of energy storage technologies that are becoming increasingly essential to ensuring a reliable and resilient electric power system.
“A resilient infrastructure needs to have a diverse range of energy sources and given its unique features, lead batteries must be a key part of that mix. In fact, there is no substitute. The lead battery industry, with its unequaled 99% recycling rate, already provides 60% of the worldwide rechargeable battery capacity sold each year. Our strong and reliable domestic supply chain has a proven history of providing readily available and economical energy storage across many essential including renewable energy, and is based on American manufacturing without undue reliance on the imports of products and materials, particularly from countries that are diplomatic adversaries, have inferior environmental protection standards, and engage in human rights abuses.
“Over the past five years we have invested more than $100 million in research and development as independent companies and in collaboration with DOE’s national laboratory system to investigate how science can improve the performance of lead batteries. Today’s announcement serendipitously coincides with BCI’s release of the Lead Battery Grand Challenge Executive Summary, a technical roadmap to 13 areas of cooperative research with the DOE and its national laboratory system.”
About Battery Council International
Battery Council International is the North American trade association representing lead battery manufacturing, supply, recycling and distribution companies. For more information on the association, visit www.batterycouncil.org.
About Essential Energy Everyday
Essential Energy Everyday exists to increase awareness of the critical importance of lead batteries in powering our daily lives. It encourages continued investment in sustainable lead battery technology to store and provide energy on demand. The initiative is supported by the global trade association that represents the lead battery and recycling industries, Battery Council International.
