As U.S. electricity demand rises and supply chains for critical minerals tighten, national laboratories are accelerating research on alternatives to lithium-ion batteries.
AI-driven data centers are emerging as one of the fastest-growing loads on global electricity systems, with some forecasts warning that U.S. facilities alone could add up to 50 GW of demand by 2030—equivalent to the consumption of every household in California.
Tesla’s Shanghai Megafactory, launched in December 2023 with the capacity to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually, has already built its first 1,000 units as of July 2024.
