Colin Wessells is the founder and co-CEO of Natron Energy, a company making sodium-ion batteries to power clean technologies. Because sodium is more abundant and more affordable than lithium, sodium-ion batteries could help bolster battery supply chains and accelerate the energy transition. Thanks to Wessells’ vision, Natron is the first – and only – commercial sodium-ion battery producer in the U.S. This year the company announced plans to massively scale up by building a 437-acre “gigafactory” in North Carolina capable of producing 24 gigawatts of batteries and expected to add $3.4 billion to the state’s economy over the next 12 years.
What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government (other than your own), needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?
The Inflation Reduction Act was one of the most important pieces of climate legislation ever enacted in the U.S., and it’s had ripple effects around the world. Other governments – including the European Union and Canada – have drafted similar policies to ensure they don’t get left behind in the race to develop the clean energy industries that will power the 21st Century. The IRA has catalyzed a manufacturing renaissance in the U.S., and Natron is proud to be a part of that.
With that in mind, the most important thing the American public and its representatives in Congress can do now is to build on that progress. Recognize the real and tangible impact these tax credits and financing opportunities are making in communities across the country, defend and expand those that have been successful, and tweak those that need improving. Clean energy is a vital part of our future, and we want to ensure that the U.S. continues to lead the way.
What’s the most important climate legislation that could pass in the next year?
The most important climate legislation that has a realistic shot of being enacted next year is permitting reform. Around the country, there are countless projects that would have demonstrable benefits for the climate that are being scaled back or canceled due to delays in the permitting process, including transmission lines to carry clean electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s consumed. We need to be thoughtful, of course, to ensure we are protecting the health and welfare of folks who live alongside those projects. But reducing duplicative efforts at the local, state, and federal levels would make a real difference.
If you could stand up and talk to world leaders at the next U.N. climate conference, what would you say?
Given the chance to speak with world leaders at the next COP, I would emphasize the urgent need for continued innovation in clean energy technologies that can transform critical power, industrial, and grid energy markets around the globe. The path forward demands not just commitment, but a paradigm shift in how we approach clean energy innovation. Many of the technologies needed for clean energy already exist, but need funding.
The climate crisis isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s an innovation challenge. We have the talent, the technology, and the tenacity to revolutionize our energy landscape. What we need now is unwavering support to accelerate this transformation. I would call upon world leaders to champion a global innovation ecosystem that nurtures groundbreaking clean energy solutions. This means increased funding for research and development, streamlined regulatory processes for emerging technologies, and incentives that encourage rapid adoption of sustainable alternatives.
But innovation alone isn’t enough. We must also focus on scalability and accessibility. The solutions we develop must be viable not just in wealthy nations, but in developing economies as well. This requires collaborative efforts to reduce costs, improve infrastructure, and provide technical assistance across borders.
Incremental change is not enough. It is imperative that we build a future where clean energy is not just an alternative, but the norm.
