General Motors and Redwood Materials have entered a new partnership to develop energy storage solutions using US-made batteries and recycled electric vehicle (EV) battery packs. The collaboration follows Redwood’s initiative to expand into the energy storage market with a new division, beginning with a project to build a storage system for an AI development center in California. These battery storage systems are vital for stabilizing the electric grid by storing energy from renewable sources like solar and wind and releasing it during low demand. With the growing energy demands from AI data centers and the manufacturing of EVs and related technologies, the need for efficient energy storage is increasing. GM’s existing partnership with Redwood involves recycling battery scrap from its Ohio and Tennessee facilities and end-of-life EV batteries. This new deal supports GM’s goal to extend its reach beyond EV batteries into grid management and energy storage, leveraging GM’s energy division that offers power banks, solar panels, and energy management solutions. Kurt Kelty, GM’s VP of batteries, emphasized the critical need for domestically produced energy storage solutions to address rising electricity demand. Redwood Materials, founded by Tesla’s former chief technologist JB Straubel, recycles batteries from various manufacturers and produces cathodes in Nevada, with plans to expand production in South Carolina.
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