Are Flow Batteries poised to break out in North America? How do AI and data centers compare to electric utilities in their priorities? What is Flow Batteries North America (FBNA) and how can I attend?
Russ Weed (President, CleanTech Strategies) sits down with Nate Kirchhofer (CEO, BioZen Batteries) on the Beyond Lithium podcast to unpack how the policy winds have shifted, why private demand from data & AI centers is reshaping storage, and what that means for commercialization. They spotlight the inaugural FBNA conference on Oct. 27 to 29 in Chicago: what it is, who it’s for, and why it’s arriving at exactly the right moment.
Russ previews the FBNA program: keynote from the Illinois Commerce Commission chair, three real-world case studies, sessions on use cases, controls/software, bankability, supply chain, an address from Flow Batteries Europe, and a finale on data/AI center applications. Expect a practical, commercialization-first vibe—not just lab talk—including a special video from Dr. Maria Skyllas-Kazacos on the history of the vanadium flow battery, plus an in-person tour of a nearby flow battery facility.
Russ and Nate are also both members of BCI’s Flow Battery Industry Group.
The conversation zooms out to the macro picture: the 45X advanced manufacturing tax credits and the IRA’s treatment of energy storage (including standalone eligibility) have kept momentum intact—even as solar/wind face new cliffs—paving the way for a North American supply chain for Flow Batteries. Russ makes the case for proven tolling agreements and revisits the classic cost-schedule-performance triangle: utilities tend to optimize for cost + performance, while data/AI centers prioritize schedule + performance—an opening for flow batteries to scale and drive costs down.
Listen to the episode below, or learn more about the Beyond Lithium podcast.
