DOE

Battery Council International collaborates with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to drive innovation in battery technology. Through strategic public-private partnerships, these efforts advance research, enhance energy storage solutions, and strengthen domestic manufacturing.

Partnering with the DOE to Advance Battery Innovation

The DOE is critical to battery research and American leadership in innovation. To innovate and improve, all battery chemistries rely on scientific discoveries that are made possible by the preeminent researchers at institutions like the National Laboratories.

DOE opportunities directed to both domestic lead battery manufacturers and recyclers would help protect vital elements of the U.S. industrial base, and boost production of traditional starting, lighting and igniting car batteries, forklift batteries, and others vital for U.S. transportation and industry.

By strengthening strategic partnerships with energy storage technology companies and manufacturers, the Department of Energy and its national laboratories can provide transformative capabilities in science. The national laboratories are uniquely suited to complement industry capabilities to harness new innovations such as AI for public good. Unique, world-leading scientific user facilities at the national laboratories generate scientific data that is unavailable anywhere else in the world.

Battery innovation with the DOE and Argonne National Lab.

DOE Energy Storage Grand Challenge

What if the lifecycle of a lead battery could increase by one-third? That’s one of many performance metrics the lead battery industry is pursuing, with help from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It’s on a quest to ramp up manufacturing capability so that the U.S. demand for energy storage can be met by domestic sources by 2030.

The Energy Storage Grand Challenge initiative launched in early 2020 with millions of dollars earmarked to support development of battery technologies in America. The specific focus is energy storage innovation for utility services to help the U.S. reach its aggressive targets.

Progress is Underway: The DOE continues to recognize the potential of lead batteries by investing in their promise. In 2023, DOE selected lead batteries as one of 10 battery chemistries to thoroughly assess for DOE’s Long Duration Storage Shot™.

The program seeks 90% cost reductions for grid-scale energy storage technologies that can provide 10 hours or longer duration of energy storage by 2030. DOE’s lead battery technology assessment recognized many exciting opportunities for the technology and found that lead batteries are well positioned to meet target energy storage goals.

View DOE’s Technology Strategy Assessment for Lead Batteries

See the Roadmap: The lead battery industry’s executive summary identifies clear performance targets and collaborative research areas for lead battery technology. Each will position the industry for exciting partnerships that maximize a lead battery’s full potential.

Battery Innovation with Argonne National Lab.

DOE U.S. National Labs Host Several Lead Battery Research Projects

Lead batteries have been in use for more than 160 years. Yet, there remains significant untapped potential in lead battery technology, and thus, great opportunity.

The lead battery industry and individual member companies have several high-tech research projects underway in collaboration with U.S. National Labs. These include:

  • The DOE Argonne National Laboratory Lead Battery Science Research Program: 2018–2021.
  • A cohort of U.S. lead battery companies are collaborating with DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory and The University of Toledo (UToledo) through the facilitation of Battery Council International. Their goal is to improve battery cycling efficiency, which would lead to longer-life batteries as new applications emerge in an increasingly decarbonized market.
Venkat Srinivasan from the Argonne Collaborative Center

The lead acid battery ... is legendary. We can recycle 95+ percent of [these] batteries all across the world. It's a very safe chemistry, ... [and] we understand how to use it very, very well.

Dr. Venkat Srinivasan, Director, Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science