Battery Council backs bill to expand 45X tax credits to critical minerals

By AI, Created 5:00 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Battery Council International is supporting legislation from Rep. Blake Moore to expand Section 45X advanced manufacturing production credits to include lead and other USGS-designated critical minerals. The move is aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains, battery manufacturing and national security as U.S. power demand rises.

Why it matters: - The proposal would extend a major federal manufacturing tax incentive to the minerals that feed U.S. battery production, mining and refining. - BCI says the change would help reduce dependence on foreign sources for critical minerals that support energy storage, manufacturing and national security. - The push comes as U.S. power demand is rising for the first time in nearly two decades.

What happened: - Battery Council International endorsed Rep. Blake Moore’s legislation to update Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credits. - The bill would include lead and all other U.S. Geological Survey-designated critical minerals. - Rep. Moore’s Ways and Means Committee colleagues Vern Buchanan, Mike Carey, Max Miller and Aaron Bean are cosponsors. - BCI released the statement on May 14, 2026, from Alexandria, Virginia.

The details: - Section 45X already applies to battery components under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. - BCI said broadening 45X to critical minerals would give the same tax treatment to materials essential to American battery manufacturing. - The organization said the existing credit has driven billions of dollars in domestic investment and created thousands of manufacturing jobs. - Updating eligibility would extend those benefits to mining and refining operations that supply raw materials for battery makers. - BCI said lead’s designation as a critical mineral was an important step toward resilient supply chains for American battery manufacturers. - The U.S. lead battery industry directly supports more than 106,000 jobs and generates more than $35 billion in annual business output. - BCI said 99 percent of used lead batteries are recycled and returned to production. - BCI and its 140-plus member companies said they are ready to work with Moore and Congress on the legislation.

Between the lines: - The proposal reflects a broader effort to connect U.S. industrial policy with upstream mineral supply, not just final battery assembly. - Expanding 45X to critical minerals could make domestic extraction and refining more financially competitive. - BCI is positioning the lead battery sector as a model for circular manufacturing and supply-chain resilience. - Roger Miksad, BCI’s president and executive director, said Congress should send a signal that America is committed to controlling every link in its supply chains.

What’s next: - BCI said it will continue working with Rep. Moore and the full Congress to advance the legislation. - The group said the next step is to build on the policy framework created in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. - BCI said the American battery industry has more than 125 years of manufacturing expertise and is prepared to lead if federal policy keeps pace.

The bottom line: - The fight over 45X is shifting upstream, with BCI pressing Congress to reward the minerals that power U.S. batteries, not just the batteries themselves.