New Database Provides Free, Public Access to Federal Policies, Incentives, Executive
Orders, and Regulations Related to Batteries for EVs and Stationary Energy Storage
Drastically increasing fleet and consumer use of electric vehicles (EVs) and developing
energy storage solutions for renewable energy generation and resilience are key strategies
the Biden administration touts to slash national transportation emissions and curtail
climate change. While achievable goals, they are contingent on reliable and sustainable
supplies of large quantities of high-capacity lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) new Battery Policies and Incentives database, developed and managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is helping
to address the batteries need. The database is intended to help advance the adoption
of zero-emission vehicles by providing information and data that inform the production
of EV batteries and development of a secure domestic battery supply chain. The database
allows users to search for policies and financial incentives by jurisdiction, battery
chemistry, federal agency, status, and type, as well as other topics, to customize
the information to each specific need.
The Battery Policies and Incentives database currently covers activities before and
after the use of batteries, such as materials production, manufacturing, and transport.
It is aimed at federal, state, and local policymakers, as well as businesses and individuals
looking to build key businesses in the U.S. Li-ion battery supply chain. The database
excludes end-use applications, such as the EVs and electrical energy storage systems
themselves.
“NREL’s deep expertise in maintaining comprehensive, national data sets was key in
the development of the database,” said NREL Software Developer Matt Rahill. “We leveraged
that knowledge to enhance some of the most important aspects of the tool, including
a public database so users in one state can understand what other states are doing,
learn from one another, and share information related to current battery laws and
incentives.”
Batteries are critical to decarbonizing the economy, expanding the nation’s grid storage,
improving resilience of homes and businesses, and increasing electrification of the
transportation sector. Demand for EVs and stationary storage is projected to multiply
the Li-ion battery market by the end of the decade, and production capacity in the
United States is already responding with an increase in new battery production plants
and capabilities.
In response to an executive order from the White House, DOE recommended establishing a fully domestic, secure, end-to-end battery supply chain
to meet U.S. battery demand. DOE’s Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries…