US lead battery industry supports 95,000 jobs and is a multi-billion dollar powerhouse
The US lead battery industry has published an economic impact analysis setting out the scale and scope of its benefit to the country’s economy. The report reveals that the U.S. lead battery industry creates more than 95,000 jobs and contributed more than $28 billion in total economic output to the economy in 2016. The study, Economic Contribution of the U.S. Lead Battery Industry, prepared by the Economic Development Research Group at the request of Essential Energy Everyday and Battery Council International (BCI), demonstrates the positive economic impact lead battery manufacturers and recyclers provide to thousands of American workers and their communities.
Employees of the lead battery industry cumulatively earn $6 billion annually, with average salaries among mining and recycling employees reaching $83,606, while manufacturing employees see similarly high salaries of $62,343. “As demand for renewable energy increases, the need for sustainable and cost-effective energy storage increases as well.
The lead battery industry’s circular economy helps create an extremely sustainable, environmentally friendly form of energy storage that produces significant economic benefits for the communities where we operate,” said Jeff Elder, president of BCI. The increasing demand for energy storage in renewable energy facilities, as well as lead batteries’ essential uses in the nation’s infrastructure that encompasses transportation, logistics, communications and critical backup power, produces a direct economic output of $11.2 billion from their manufacture and recycling.
The study states: “Lead batteries are among the world’s safest and most reliable sources of energy. Whether starting a car, storing power from a solar panel or powering a communications tower, lead batteries provide essential energy every moment of each day to millions of people around the globe. Lead batteries are also among the most environmentally sustainable manufactured products, with a recycling rate of almost 100%. The industry, built on 150 years of proven and progressive technology, operates on environmentally sound principles, provides a growing base of meaningful employment and contributes to the economic development of the communities in which its products are made.
The lead battery industry is a vital contributor to our global energy needs and to the development of essential energy.” END
About International Lead Association (ILA)
The International Lead Association is the trusted global trade association for the lead industry, representing the producers of about 3 million tonnes of lead. Member companies are at the forefront of the mining, smelting, refining and recycling of lead. ILA is working toward a vision of a sustainable global lead industry that is recognised for the positive contribution it makes to society.
