Energy storage is ready to become a key pillar of the US energy transition, writes Andy Tang of Wärtsilä Energy.

The Inflation Reduction Act took a significant step forward over the weekend as US vice-president Kamala Harris cast a decisive vote.

Redwood Materials CEO JB Straubel told a US Senate hearing his company already receives approximately 6GWh of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries for recycling annually. 

A politically bipartisan effort to introduce investment tax credit (ITC) incentives to support and accelerate the deployment of energy storage in the US could be a “once in a generation opportunity” to protect the future of the earth.

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Energy Storage Association (ESA) are among a group of six clean energy trade groups that have called on Congress to help the sector to ride out the worst economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The US Solar Energy Industries Asssociation and Energy Storage Association joined forces yesterday to promote a ‘Day of Action’ in calling for an Investment Tax Credit to be applied to energy storage technologies.

Two bills that have been introduced in the US to support and accelerate the development and deployment of energy storage are enjoying cross-party support and look likely to pass unopposed, an analyst has said.

The US government has been urged to recognise the “critical role” energy storage can play in making the grid cleaner and able to accept more renewable energy, by increasing the eligibility of batteries and other technologies to receive the Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

Governor of California Jerry Brown, who likened the Trump administration’s environmental stance as a “declaration of war on America”, looks set to commit his state to a “100% renewable energy” policy.