Building an energy storage material industry chain

What are energy materials?

Energy materials: Used in this report to refer to any material used in the production of lithium batteries, including (a) critical minerals, (b) non-critical raw materials, (c) chemical intermediates, and (d) recycled materials/black mass.

Why is transparency important in energy storage?

Transparency: While the industry supports sharing certain information, such as material provenance, the industry expresses concern that incremental cost of compliance may deter customers and slow energy storage adoption. The Li‐Bridge alliance recognizes the importance of promoting equity in its many forms.

How can the US protect a North American lithium battery supply chain?

To protect U.S. security and critical interests on several fronts, the U.S. government must act immediately to support the timely development of a North American lithium battery supply chain based on U.S. know-how and free from the threat of foreign supply constraints. III. The Li-Bridge Initiative

What policy developments are affecting the lithium battery supply chain?

The past year has seen many policy developments with implications for the U.S. lithium battery supply chain. The most significant are two laws, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). The provisions of these two laws align with many of the recommendations made in this report.

Should a strong lithium battery supply chain be shared?

The costs and benefits of building a strong lithium battery supply chain should be shared across all groups in aggregate, though some projects may promote equity more than others. Cultivating competitive advantage is critical for U.S. industry to compete globally and reduce future need for government subsidies and/or policy intervention.

What are the key components of modern industry strategy?

Two additional recent U.S. federal government actions highlight other major components of modern industry strategy: the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (‘CHIPS Act’) and the Defense Production Act (DPA). The CHIPS Act is a clear demonstration of renewed industrial support at a sector level (in this case, semiconductors).