It was an honor to have such a strong audience of industry, academia, national labs and government agencies as we closed out the 42nd International Battery Conference in the Plenary Panel Discussion. The conversation about “The Global Battery Industry Landscape: Opportunities & Illusions” moderated by Christina Lampe-Onnerud and including Oliver Gross, William Acker and Sean Hendrix highlighted the growth potential of and challenging environment for battery technology. I shared my view that the investment opportunity is for both e-mobility (electric vehicles) and storage (utility-scale/long-duration). There has continued to be decreases in pricing as a result of improvements in battery technology (both chemistry and size), manufacturing and more market competition. Lithium-ion battery prices have consistently declined (20% in 2024 and 13% in 2023). There is concern that this momentum could be slowed as a result of tariffs (forecast of 3%). Nonetheless, the conference showcased that the technology is improving to drive faster charging and longer range for electric vehicles and more capacity for batter energy storage. The key drivers for scaling of battery technology going forward will be: -Access to capital to expand manufacturing -Pricing of key metals (lithium, nickel and cobalt) -Workforce and skills -Tariffs Growth in battery technology is a primary solution to increased electrification, growth of data centers and Artificial Intelligence, and yes, responding to climate change. All considerations for ensuring Economic Security, Energy Security and National Security. We should not now short-circuit or disrupt U.S. industry from continuing to be leaders in the energy transition. Whether it’s renewables, storage, electric vehicles or carbon reduction solutions U.S. companies, at least today, are some of the most innovative in the world. The environment we built to encourage, support and maintain this innovation has been the envy around the world. It is why entrepreneurs want to come to the United States to pursue their innovative ideas. We need policies and financing structures that support this. #batterytechnology #BESS #electricvehicles #energystorage #batteryenergystoragesolutions #electrification #sustainability #floridabattery25