Alex Luce takes helm of energy storage innovation consortium, unveils new partnership with NAATBatt International

SAN FRANCISCO - CalCharge, the public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating innovation in energy storage technologies, has a new leader. Alex Luce, who was named program manager effective Dec. 1, has already helped CalCharge partner with North Americas leading advanced battery trade association, NAATBatt International (NAATBatt).

"As the energy storage sector continues to grow and mature, the cutting-edge tools and resources available through CalCharge become ever more important," said Luce. "Partnering with NAATBatt is a great example of how were continuing to expand the value proposition for our members."
Luce brings years of technical and program-building experience to CalCharge. With deep expertise in bringing new technologies to market, capitalizing on synergies between like organizations, and understanding technical aspects of energy storage, Luce will continue to develop new opportunities and offerings for CalCharge members, with an expanded focus on testing, safety, and standards.
Before joining CalCharge, Luce worked at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) in Washington D.C. He also worked at the early-stage investment firm Prelude Ventures, and at SkyDeck, the UC Berkeley startup accelerator. Luce earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and conducted graduate research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he served as co-president of the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative.

Luce will report to CalCharge president Danny Kennedy who also serves as managing director of the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF). Kennedy came to CalCEF from Sungevity, which he co-founded to get involved in the next big frontiers in the energy transition.

"Energy storage is key to cracking the clean energy code and decarbonizing our transportation fleet, and is essential for consumer electronics," said Kennedy. "Alex is the perfect person to find creative avenues for our members to access resources, overcome challenges, and leverage new opportunities in the fast-changing energy storage sector."

CalCharges new partner, NAATBatt, supports the commercial interests of its members by helping them identify technological and market developments in a variety of advanced battery applications. The two organizations plan to collaborate on resources and networking opportunities to provide their members broader insights across the sector.

"Were excited about offering CalCharge as a resource to our members and opening up NAATBatt as a resource to their members," said James Greenberger, NAATBatts executive director. In particular, Greenberger highlights CalCharge's unique agreement that provides streamlined access to three national laboratories.
"Gaining access to the national labs could be a huge benefit to our members, helping to accelerate the development of ideas, technologies, and commercialization of advanced battery technology by the private sector," said Greenberger.

While CalCharge draws members from around the world, it provides a unique entrée to the groundbreaking energy-storage innovation coming out of California. NAATBatt, which focuses on the commercialization of advanced battery technology in multiple applications worldwide, aims to give its members better access to the exciting developments in battery technology coming out of California. NAATBatt and CalCharge are hopeful about opportunities to collaborate on future endeavors, ranging from technical and business issues to safety concerns.

"One of CalCharge's goals is to develop and implement industry standards and training for the safe and effective installation of energy storage devices, and that requires support across the industry," said Bernie Kotlier, CalCharge board member and executive director of sustainable energy solutions for the IBEW/NECA Labor Management Cooperation Committee, who recognized and spearheaded the NAATBatt-CalCharge partnership. "This partnership is the perfect way to connect the dots and get closer to standards that ensure safety across the energy storage sector."

CalCharge launched in 2014 and has 28 members, which range from start-ups to multinational corporations, research institutions, national labs, and utilities. In addition to providing streamlined access to three national labs, CalCharge co-founded Battery University with San Jose State University, the worlds first masters program in energy storage technology.


About CalCharge
CalCharge (www.calcharge.org) is a public-private partnership working to accelerate the development, commercialization, and adoption of new energy storage technologies for the consumer, transportation, and grid markets. CalCharge enables diverse stakeholders identify barriers and develop solutions. It operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of CalCEF Catalyst, a 501(c)(6) trade association, and is primarily funded by dues and contributions from members.