ESA CEO Kelly Speakes-Backman’s Statement on Tariffs for Lithium-ion Batteries and Related Equipment
The U.S. Energy Storage Association and its members are deeply concerned that tariffs on Chinese lithium-ion batteries and related equipment would have an immediate and adverse effect on grid energy storage deployments in the United States.
As one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. energy sector, the storage industry needs greater certainty for future investment and hiring decisions. Our innovative companies are changing the business model in the electric industry. 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.
The proposed tariffs will stymie growth and job creation as energy storage projects already contracted are delayed or canceled. With this, higher costs and uncertainty will create barriers at a time when the demand for improved resilience and clean energy is rising across the nation.
To maintain business continuity and growth in the storage sector, policymakers should not impose tariffs on batteries and related equipment. Instead, they should enact the plethora of existing bipartisan legislative efforts that have been introduced in statehouses across the country and in Congress.
We look forward to working with officials to avoid the mistake of imposing tariffs that would hinder U.S. efforts to modernize the American electric system.