Lithium-ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group

AB 2832 Advisory Group: Draft Work Plan

Working Draft for Discussion Dec. 14, 2020

1.     Introduction

This document summarizes the proposed work plan for the period December 2020-March 2022, during which time the Lithium-Ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group will develop policy recommendations for the California Legislature as laid out in the requirements set by Assembly Bill 2832 (2018, Dahle)

2.     Requirements set by AB 2832 (emphasis added):

(c) On or before April 1, 2022, the Lithium-Ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group shall submit policy recommendations to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, aimed at ensuring that as close to 100 percent as possible of lithium-ion vehicle batteries in the state are reused or recycled at end-of-life in a safe and cost-effective manner. The policy recommendations shall reflect entire life cycle considerations for lithium-ion vehicle batteries, including, but not limited to the following:

• Opportunities and barriers to the reuse of those batteries as energy storage systems after they are removed from the vehicle.
• Best management considerations for those batteries at end-of-life.
• The overall effect of different management practices on the environment.

In developing the policy recommendations, the advisory group shall consider both in-state and out-of-state options for the recycling of lithium-ion vehicle batteries.

3.     Proposed Subgroups

Three subgroups are being proposed to the advisory group. These subgroups will work simultaneously, be comprised of advisory group members, and will continue to be subject to Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act Requirements. The goal of the subgroups is to portion the work of the larger advisory group into more manageable loads, while facilitating more frequent meetings and discussions within the smaller bodies. Advisory group members will also be able to select which subgroup(s) they wish to participate in. The three proposed subgroups, along with their draft scopes and definitions, are as follows:

1. Reuse
   • May refer to cases where the batteries are reused in another vehicle or repurposed for other applications, such as stationary energy storage.
2. Recycling
   • Material recovery via mechanical separation, pyrometallurgical and/or hydrometallurgical recycling processes.
3. Logistics
   • Encompases removal of battery from vehicle, testing to determine appropriate next use (reuse in vehicle, stationary storage, or material recovery), collection and sorting, transportation, and tracking.

4. Proposed Timeline

• December 2020: Define and create subgroups
• January 2021: Finalize subgroup assignments
• Phase I: January – March 2021
  • Identify opportunities and barriers
  • March 2021: Present draft report outline, including identified opportunities and barriers
• Phase II: March – July 2021
  • Identify policy options to incentivize opportunities and overcome barriers
  • July 2021: Draft policy options summary and present to advisory group
• Phase III: July – December 2021
  • December 31, 2021: Complete draft of final report
• Phase IV: December 2021- March 2022
  • March 1, 2022: Complete final report

5. Work Plan for Each Phase

Phase I – Identification of barriers and opportunities (January – March 2021)

An initial brainstorming will be undertaken by the entire advisory group so that there is a shared understanding of the barriers identified for each phase in end-of-life management, then each subgroup will be responsible for compiling a complete outline. The following questions present potential topics for each subgroup but are not exhaustive. Rather, they should be viewed as starting points for discussion.

Goal:

1. Get a complete understanding of laws as they currently stand. What is allowed and what isn’t allowed in California?
2. Based on federal. and state laws, what kind of program do we want to be able to do in California? Do we want reuse and recycling to occur in California? If so, what are the barriers to get that in place?   
3. What is the capacity that is required? When do we anticipate the recycling need to be built? Or the potential capacity to get us to 100 percent reuse / recycling?

Phase II – Options to Address Barriers (March – July 2021)

After identifying barriers and opportunities, subgroups will brainstorm possible policy solutions that could help achieve our goal of reuse or recycling of as close to 100 percent of lithium-ion car batteries as possible. Each proposed option should include a description of the advantages and disadvantages of implementing that policy. With the support of the University of California, Davis (UCD) team, the subgroups will each develop a report outlining these findings and present it to the larger group for feedback.

There will be one representative that is part of all the discussions in case the same ideas come up. A UCD team member will assist with notetaking and research. The overarching themes of the subgroups are as follows:

1. Options to address barriers and incentivize the reuse of batteries with a sufficient state of health
2. Options to address barriers and incentivize recycling that minimizes environmental and economic cost while recovering key materials
3. Options to address barriers and facilitate safe and efficient logistics to support the reuse and recycling
   

    

Phase III: Compile and Complete Draft of Final Report (July – December 2021)

Results of Phases I and II will be compiled and used to develop a draft of the Final Report.

Phase IV: Edit and Finalize Final Report (December 2021 – March 2022)

The Final Report will be edited and reviewed by the advisory group and presented in March 2022.