Lead Batteries’ Role in Renewable Energy Storage
Global energy demand is expected to increase by 30 percent between 2018 and 2040 – that’s the equivalent of adding another China and India to our planet. Analysts predict a corresponding growth in renewable energy to meet that demand. A mix of energy storage technologies will be needed to store intermittent green energy such as wind and solar. As the market transformation evolves, the lead battery industry asks that policymakers:
- Prevent regulation and legislation that would prematurely eliminate battery chemistries from the market.
- Support government investment to research all battery chemistries.
- Consider the importance of the full-life-cycle impacts of all battery chemistries
- Recognize the urgency in taking these steps to slow climate change.
February 12, 2019, Energy Storage and Battery Research Update
On February 12, 2019, we held a briefing on Capitol Hill to learn more about the essentiality of lead batteries and the innovative research to improve their performance for automotive and energy storage applications. The briefing featured special guests Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41) and Rep. Chris Collins (NY-27), co-chairs of the Advanced Energy Storage Caucus.
Representatives Takano and Collins made brief remarks that were followed by a panel of leading science and business leaders who shared updates on research as well as public/private partnerships to meet the need for renewable energy and create efficient energy models to lower the planet’s carbon footprint and stabilize the grid.
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California Safer Consumer Products Program
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) oversees programs that “encourage safety and the protection of public health and the environment from toxic harm.” One of these programs is the Safer Consumer Products Program, designed to identify Priority Products which may create adverse health effects in consumers. When a product is selected as a Priority Product, it undergoes an Alternatives Analysis to compare it to potential alternatives to determine if a regulatory response is needed to remedy public health or environmental impacts. The DTSC is exploring whether lead batteries belong in this program.
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