September 27, 2024: BCI president and executive director Roger Miksad has called on US legislators to ensure domestic lead battery technology remains a cornerstone of the country’s energy and economic security.

Miksad, writing in The Washington Times on September 21, said batteries built with lead, a domestically abundant material, “must have a key role in our strategies to protect sources of US energy and economic resiliency.

“The bipartisan investments of the past four years are showing profound impact, with more than $177 billion in private industry investments in battery and EV infrastructure projects announced in just the last two years.”

He argued that these investments are essential: the need for batteries will continue to grow rapidly, as cumulative energy storage capacity will increase more than 10-fold by the end of 2030.

He said the battery industry as a whole should establish a resilient supply chain that is not overly reliant on a single product, company, or foreign adversary nation.

For more than 125 years, lead batteries have provided the firm foundations built on by other energy storage technologies such as flow, sodium, lithium ion, advanced lead, and others, Miksad said.

He urged Congress to support a vibrant and diverse domestic battery industry — which must include the innovation of lead battery technology to be successful.

“A strong domestic battery industry is critical in this age of supply chain disruptions and contentious global trade policies, and the nation should continue to invest in American stability through lead battery manufacturing.

“Advocacy for a strong domestic battery industry has never been more essential to ensuring the nation’s power needs are met.”

Miksad’s article is available in full online.