31 | FBNA, Macro Shifts in Market/Policy/45X, Season 2 kickoff — with Russ Weed, President of CleanTech Strategies

<p>📈<strong> Are Flow Batteries poised to break out in North America?</strong> <strong>How do AI and data centers compare to electric utilities in their priorities? What is FBNA and how can I attend? </strong>Kicking off Season 2 of <em>Beyond Lithium</em>, returning guest <strong>Russ Weed</strong> (President, CleanTech Strategies) sits down with Nate Kirchhofer (CEO, BioZen Batteries) to unpack how the policy winds have shifted, why private demand from <strong>data &amp; AI centers</strong> is reshaping storage, and what that means for commercialization. They spotlight the inaugural <a href="https://batterycouncil.org/flow-batteries-north-america-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><strong>Flow Batteries North America (FBNA)</strong></a> conference <strong>27-29 October in Chicago</strong>: what it is, who it’s for, and why it’s arriving at exactly the right moment.</p><p>Russ previews the FBNA program: keynote from the <strong>Illinois Commerce Commission</strong> chair, <strong>three real-world case studies</strong>, sessions on <strong>use cases, controls/software, bankability, supply chain</strong>, an address from <strong>Flow Batteries Europe</strong>, and a finale on <strong>data/AI center applications</strong>. Expect a practical, commercialization-first vibe—not just lab talk—including a <strong>special video from Dr. Maria Skyllas-Kazacos</strong> on the history of the vanadium flow battery, plus an <strong>in-person tour</strong> of a nearby flow battery facility.</p><p>The conversation zooms out to the macro picture: the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12809" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><strong>45X production tax credit</strong></a> and the IRA’s treatment of energy storage (including <strong>standalone eligibility</strong>) have kept momentum intact—even as solar/wind face new cliffs—paving the way for a North American supply chain for Flow Batteries. Russ makes the case for proven <strong>tolling agreements</strong> and revisits the classic <strong>cost-schedule-performance</strong> triangle: utilities tend to optimize for <strong>cost + performance</strong>, while <strong>data/AI centers</strong> prioritize <strong>schedule + performance</strong>—an opening for flow batteries to scale and drive costs down. If you’re building, buying, or financing long-duration storage, this episode is your roadmap. And Chicago is your next stop.</p><p>[Recorded 13 October 2025]</p>