Lithium-ion batteries power our phones, our electric vehicles, and a fast-growing share of the grid-scale storage keeping the lights on as renewable energy expands. For decades, they have dominated the energy storage industry and remain the default assumption behind most clean energy planning.

But some of the assumptions built around lithium-ion are under pressure. Brooks Sherman, a strategy and business development professional whose MBA capstone examined next-generation battery markets, has been tracing those pressures and asking what a more resilient storage future might look like.

“The conversation around energy storage is still dominated by lithium-ion, and for good reason. It’s a proven, commercially viable technology,” says Sherman, who completed an MBA in Sustainable Innovation at the University of Vermont’s Grossman School of Business. “But when you look at the structural pressures building around supply chains, environmental impact, and the specific demands of grid-scale storage, it becomes clear that lithium-ion isn’t the only answer, nor should it be.”

The Cracks in Lithium’s Foundation

The case for diversification starts with current supply chain concentration. In the research he completed for his capstone, Sherman examined how:

• China dominates rare earth element extraction and refinement, refining roughly 59% of the world’s lithium, 68% of its nickel, and 73% of its cobalt
• That concentration in a single country creates vulnerabilities that go well beyond pricing

Trade policy shifts, geopolitical friction, or domestic economic disruptions in any major refining nation can ripple through global supply chains within weeks, as recent export controls and regional conflicts show.

Then there are the environmental costs. Lithium extraction,…