BATTERY Act of 2020

To amend the United States Energy Storage Competitiveness Act of 2007 to establish a research, development, and demonstration program for the recycling and reuse of energy critical materials used in energy storage systems, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Bolster American Technology Through Expanding Recycling Yield Act of 2020 BATTERY Act of 2020 2. Energy critical material recycling and reuse research, development, and demonstration program (a) In general The United States Energy Storage Competitiveness Act of 2007 ( 42 U.S.C. 17231 (q) Energy critical material recycling and reuse research, development, and demonstration program (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Electric motor vehicle The term electric motor vehicle (B) Electronic scrap The term electronic scrap (C) Energy critical material The term energy critical material (D) Energy storage system The term energy storage system (i) is capable of absorbing energy, storing such energy for a period of time, and dispatching such energy after storage; and (ii) uses a mechanical, electrical, chemical, electrochemical, or thermal process to store such energy, or any other process that the Secretary determines relevant. (E) Low-speed electric vehicle The term low-speed electric vehicle (F) Recycling The term recycling (2) Establishment Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall establish a research, development, and demonstration program of recycling of energy storage systems containing energy critical materials. (3) Research, development, and demonstration In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall focus research, development, and demonstration activities on— (A) technologies, process improvements, design optimizations, and methods that improve collection, sorting, storage, and transportation of energy storage systems for the purposes of recycling, including— (i) removal of electronic scrap and low-speed electric vehicles from landfill and general recycling waste streams; (ii) extraction of energy storage systems from electronic scrap and low-speed electric vehicles; (iii) extraction, recovery, and reuse of energy critical materials from energy storage systems; (iv) extraction, recovery, and reuse of energy storage systems, and energy critical materials from energy storage systems, within electric motor vehicles; (v) improving the recyclability of energy storage systems and products containing energy storage systems; and (vi) safe disposal of energy storage systems, including waste materials and components recovered during the recycling process; and (B) research on and analysis of non-technical barriers to improve the collection and recycling of energy storage systems containing energy critical materials, including strategies to improve consumer education of, acceptance of, and participation in, the recycling of energy storage systems; and (C) research on and analysis of technologies and methods to mitigate environmental impacts that arise from recycling energy storage systems, including disposal of toxic reagents and byproducts related to recycling processes. (4) Environmental stewardship The Secretary shall seek to ensure that any activity receiving funding under this program— (A) does not release toxic byproducts into the environment; (B) sufficiently minimizes potential fire risk— (i) in facilities where energy storage systems are stored; and (ii) in the transportation of energy storage systems; and (C) protects the health and safety of all persons involved in or in proximity to such activity. (5) Report to congress Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, and every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report summarizing the activities, findings, and progress of the program. . (b) Authorization of appropriations The United States Energy Storage Competitiveness Act of 2007 ( 42 U.S.C. 17231 (1) in paragraph (5), by striking and (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period and inserting ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (7) the research, development, and demonstration program under subsection (q) $22,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. .

Summary: Bolster American Technology Through Expanding Recycling Yield Act of 2020 or the BATTERY Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a research, development, and demonstration program of recycling of energy critical materials embedded within energy storage systems (e.g., batteries). Energy critical materials means chemicals that have a high risk of a supply disruption and are critical to one or more energy-related technologies; a substantial supply disruption of such material would significantly inhibit large-scale deployment of technologies that produce, transmit, store, or conserve energy. DOE must seek to ensure that any activity receiving funding under the program (1) does not release toxic byproducts into the environment, (2) sufficiently minimizes potential fire risk in facilities where energy storage systems are stored and in the transportation of such systems, and (3) protects the health and safety of all persons involved in or in proximity to such activity.