Annual lithium-ion battery growth by end use

Is Electric Battery Storage Overrated as a Clean Technology?

The U.S. and the world are undergoing an accelerated energy transition with high stakes regarding energy security. Concerns about climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are dominating the debate about which energy technologies are politically most acceptable to meet energy needs. Renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electric battery storage technologies appear to be the preferred technologies. However, we believe the notion that renewables and electric storage (batteries) are “clean” has been overstated. This column will shed some light on the following: what “clean energy” means; the environmental impacts of lithium-ion batteries; and what governments and electric vehicle and battery companies must do to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and reduce envirronmental impacts associated with the lithium-ion electric battery supply chain. See article in the Natural Gas & Electricity Journal