NAATBatt Committees/Communities
Get Involved. Shape the Future of the Battery Industry.
If your organization is a NAATBatt member, your team can take an active role in shaping the direction of the advanced battery ecosystem. Our industry communities bring together innovators, operators, researchers and problem-solvers who want to move the sector forward.
Each community zeroes in on a specific challenge or segment of the battery supply chain. Meetings are held monthly or bi-monthly via Zoom or Teams, making it easy to stay engaged no matter where you’re based.
Ready to contribute, collaborate and stay ahead of what’s next?
Click the links below to join one or more community, get added to the roster and start receiving updates on upcoming meetings and initiatives.
Battery Finance
This community will focus on various mechanisms for financing battery and battery materials-related projects and companies. The community will track innovation in capital structures and financial products and keep its members up-to-date on tax structures, credits and other incentives that may be relevant to battery-focused businesses and investors.
Current Chairs:
- David Howell, Strategic Marketing Innovations, Inc.
- Jack Perkowski, Energy Supply Developers, LLC
Battery Safety
This community will study and discuss issues concerning the safety of batteries and ways to make their manufacturing, storage, transportation and use safer for the public and for industry. The community will discuss emerging battery safety standards and regulations. It will examine new technologies that can reduce the dangers of thermal runaway and mitigate battery failures when they occur. The community will also educate industry and the public about battery safety hazards and mitigation strategies.
Current Chairs:
- Brian Engle, Amphenol
- Joe LoGrasso, JL Energy Advisors
- Brian Morin, Soteria BIGl
Cybersecurity
The Cybersecurity Community exists to promote education on how to design or select secure safety electronics for energy storage systems. The Community will disseminate information on current activities (legislative, regulatory, etc.) designed to increase the cybersecurity of battery safety electronics.
Current Chairs:
- John Platt, Snell & Wilmer
- Michael Worry, Nuvation Energy
Electrode Materials
This community will discuss issues related to the development, manufacturing and testing of new electrode materials and electrolytes used in battery cells. The community will examine new innovations in electrode materials and electrolytes that may increase energy density and/or enhance battery safety. The production and processing of electrode precursor materials will also be covered.
Current Chairs:
- Jerzy Gazda, Huntsman
- Katharina Gerber, Siemens
- Dana Swan, Arkema
Energy Materials
This community focuses on the mining, refining and conversion of raw materials into battery cell electrodes and components. Few companies in North America focus on this critical upstream portion of the advanced battery supply chain. The community will examine efforts to build out this part of the supply chain in North America and technological and policy changes that might support that effort.
Current Chair:
- Michael Lew, NAATBatt International
Equipment Makers
This community will focus on the companies, processes and know-how involved in manufacturing machinery that makes battery cells, cell components, battery packs and energy materials. The community will discuss the types of machine tools necessary to perform these functions. It will consider policies and economic incentives necessary to encourage the manufacture of battery making equipment in North America.
Current Chairs:
- Chad Shaffer, Siemens
- David Ventola, Dürr Systems
ESS and Data Center
- Paul Charles, Charles and Associates
- Michael Euripides, SIMBA Chain
Markets
- Frank Billotto, Dupont
- Steve Feldbauer, Abbott Furnance
- Josh McConkey, C-BATT
Manufacturing in North America
This community studies issues relating to the development and manufacture of high capacity advanced batteries and their components in North America. The manufacture of lithium-based batteries and other types of advanced technology batteries in North America lags substantially behind other parts of the world. This community focuses on the challenges of manufacturing the mid- and downstream supply chain components of advanced batteries, including battery packs, cells, cell components (i.e. separators, anodes and cathodes) and manufacturing equipment, in North America.
Current Chairs:
- Ben Wrightsman, XC Technology
- Jeff Yambrick, Energy Supply Developers
Military Batteries
This community examines military, space and defense-related applications for electrochemical energy storage technology. The community will discuss technical requirements for batteries in these applications and issues concerning working with government procurement agencies. New defense-related systems employing energy storage technology will also be discussed.
Current Chairs:
- Marc Gietter, Crystal Clear Consulting
- James Trevey, Forge Nano
Onshoring Battery Technology
This community assists and advises battery and battery materials companies located outside of North America in establishing manufacturing operations in the United States. Existing NAATBatt members can use the community to identify and partner with new market entrants. NAATBatt welcomes foreign companies that wish to become members of the North American advanced battery community.
Current Chairs:
- Andreas Bareid, QAD
- Fred Lee, KTON
Subcommittee Chairs:
- Japan - Akihito Fujita, Nomura Research Institute America (NRIA)
- Korea - Charlie Hong, Nanotech Energy
Policy and Regulatory
This community studies a variety of regulatory issues that affect the manufacture and deployment of advanced battery technology in North America. The community is divided into several working groups focusing, respectively, on environmental, products liability, general contracts and general regulatory matters. The community also discusses on the advanced battery industry's relationships with government entities and the promotion of advanced battery technology to the general public.
Current Chairs:
- Emil Nusbaum, Automotive Recyclers Association
- Jeff Yambrick, Energy Supply Developers
Recycling
- Renata Arsenault, Ford Motor Company
- Tod Coy, Retriev
Second Life Use
This community examines the technical, economic, regulatory and legal challenges involved in repurposing high capacity advanced batteries for second life use. The community will explore optimal applications for second life batteries and discuss ways of making second life use of batteries more practical and economic. The community also studies regulatory requirements applicable to those second life applications.
Current Chairs:
- Don Karner, Electric Applications
- John Kincaide, 2ndLifeBatteries.com
Sodium Battery
This community studies developments in the emerging field of rechargeable sodium-based batteries. The community will follow scientific developments in sodium battery chemistry and architecture and the use of sodium-based batteries in stationary and mobile commercial applications. The use of sodium as a viable alternative or supplement to lithium and lead in battery systems will be examined and discussed.
Current Chairs:
- Heather Platt, Mana Battery
- Erik Spoerke, Sandia National Laboratories
Track and Trace
This community focuses on the challenge of identifying the component origins, location and state of health of advanced batteries in commerce. The community studies various technological and regulatory means for tracing and tracking advanced batteries with a view to enhancing ESG goals, supply chain security and consumer satisfaction.
Current Chairs:
- Lauren Roman, TransparentPlanet
- Laura Wagner, General Motors
Workforce Development
- Vijay Dhar
- Bernie Kotlier, NECA-IBEW of California/ Nevada
Zinc Battery
- Josef Daniel-Ivad, International Zinc Association
- Emily Dickens, Octet Scientific