Old EV Batteries Could Help Solve AI’s Exploding Power Problem

Energy Old EV Batteries Could Help Solve AI’s Exploding Power Problem By Ken Silverstein,

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Ken Silverstein analyzes the Energy Transition, AI and Geopolitics Follow Author Jun 21, 2026, 08:45am EDTSummary America's AI data centers face immense, escalating power demands, severely taxing national grids and driving up energy costs. A promising solution involves repurposing retired electric vehicle batteries, which retain significant capacity for stationary storage. These second-life batteries can buffer AI facilities, charging during off-peak hours and discharging during peak demand, thereby stabilizing the grid and reducing expensive electricity purchases. Companies are championing this approach, highlighting its cost-effectiveness compared to new batteries. Beyond immediate energy management, this strategy bolsters supply chain resilience for critical materials, addressing a growing national security concern. It offers a scalable, existing solution to AI's urgent power challenge.

A robot moves a pallet with batteries at the Automotive Cells Company (ACC) Gigafactory, which produces lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), in Douvrin, northern France, on December 2, 2024. Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP) (Photo by DENIS CHARLET/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesThe electricity bill for running America’s AI data centers is staggering—and climbing. As hyperscale facilities multiply to support large language models and GPU clusters, they are straining power grids, sparking fights over electricity rates, and forcing utilities to rethink how they serve some of the most energy-intensive facilities ever built. The pursuit of affordable, reliable electricity has become nearly as important as the race to build the data centers themselves.