CEO Kelly Speakes-Backman’s Statement on Announcement of Additional Tariffs on Chinese Lithium-ion Batteries
As expressed in its statement on June 11, 2019, the U.S. Energy Storage Association has deep concerns regarding the announcement of additional tariffs on Chinese lithium-ion batteries. We also reiterate that this will have an immediate and adverse economic effect on grid energy storage deployments in the United States. It could stymie projects already underway or cancel others altogether; threatening jobs and livelihoods.
ESA member companies are changing the business model in the electric industry for the better, and now is not the time to disrupt the international supply chain as we work to build a resilient, efficient, sustainable and affordable grid for all Americans. This action runs counter to support demonstrated across the Administrative offices and legislative efforts to encourage deployment growth and U.S. job creation. Policymakers should instead enact the existing bipartisan legislative efforts that have been introduced in statehouses across the country and in Congress, including federal investment tax credit eligibility for standalone storage.
Additionally, ESA calls on the U.S. Trade Representative to open an exclusion process and consider grid energy storage components because of their role in electric system resilience and energy security. We look forward to working with officials to avoid slowing U.S. efforts to modernize the American electric system.