Powering the future: Alabama charges ahead in the South’s growing ‘Battery Belt’
The team from Alabama attends this week’s Battery Show South in Atlanta. (contributed)
The Alabama Department of Commerce joined forces with Alabama-based partners this week at The Battery Show South to highlight the state’s growing presence in the advanced battery and electrification sectors — a strategic move to attract future investment as the Southeast continues to solidify its reputation as the nation’s “Battery Belt.”
Held in Atlanta, The Battery Show South brings together key players from across the evolving regional value chain in the battery industry.
The event explores innovations and technologies across a wide range of applications, including commercial and industrial transportation, advanced battery and H/EV systems, stationary energy storage, recycling, components, mining and aerospace.
Alabama’s delegation used the event to showcase the state’s strengths in automotive manufacturing, workforce training, logistics and industrial development, all of which make it an ideal destination for companies operating in the battery and electrification space.
“Alabama is strategically positioned to play a central role in the Battery Belt’s expansion,” said Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.
“With our skilled workforce, robust manufacturing base and growing infrastructure to support electrification, Alabama is ready to compete for the next generation of battery and EV investments,” she said.
The industry is projected to continue to make major investments in the space. A Reuters analysis of 37 global automakers, for example, indicates plans to invest almost $1.2 trillion in EVs, batteries and related materials through 2030.
An Alabama team attended this week’s Battery Show South to highlight the state’s growing presence in the advanced battery and electrification sectors. The team is seeking to attract future investment as the Southeast continues to solidify its reputation as the nation’s “Battery Belt.” (contributed)
Growth potential
Alabama is already home to major EV and battery-related projects, including Mercedes-Benz’s battery plant in Bibb County, Hyundai’s EV production activities in Montgomery and a network of suppliers that supports the evolving EV ecosystem.
The state continues to pursue targeted strategies to enhance its competitiveness in this sector, including focused workforce initiatives and site development efforts.
“The Battery Show South provides a unique platform for Alabama’s team to connect with innovators, decision-makers and investors, reinforcing the state’s commitment to becoming a key hub in the Southeastern ‘Battery Belt,’” said Veronica Crock, a senior project manager at the Department of Commerce who attended the event.
Other members of Alabama’s “Battery Team” attending the Atlanta event are:
- Melody Whitten (Alabama Community College System)
- Kevin Taylor (AIDT)
- Mike Oatridge and Brad Whisenant (AMP Center)
- Amendi Stephens (Alabama Power)
- Bakari Miller (Economic Development Partnership of Alabama)
- Jonathan Schniper (Spire)
- Thomas Tyson (PowerSouth)
- Penny Townsend (Tennessee Valley Authority)
- Vince Perez (Southeast Gas)
Strategic teamwork
The teamwork approach reflects Alabama’s commitment to capitalizing on industry investment in the EV/battery space, a goal outlined in the state’s new “Catalyst” economic development strategic plan.
At the NATTBattery Conference in Orlando in February, members of the Alabama team engaged in more than a dozen appointments and established numerous industry contacts.
During the event, Crock participated in a panel discussion titled “Government Programs Supporting the Battery Industry in North America” and gave a presentation on the Department of Commerce and available incentive programs.
At the Atlanta event, she spoke on a panel titled “Investments in the Battery and EV Industry” and led a roundtable discussion on “The EV Charging Ecosystem: Challenges and Solutions.”
The Alabama Battery Team is also scheduled to attend Battery Show Europe in Stuttgart, Germany, in early June.
The $30 million EV Technology Center is set to propel Alabama’s automotive industry into the future by equipping workers with the skills needed for electric vehicle production and other emerging technologies. It’s being built on the campus of the Alabama Robotics Technology Park near Decatur. (contributed)
Support system
The team can highlight that the auto industry has a strong support system in Alabama as it moves toward an EV future.
AIDT, a Department of Commerce division that serves as Alabama’s primary workforce development agency, is constructing the EV Technology Center, a $30 million workforce training facility near Decatur that’s dedicated to electric vehicles and emerging technologies.
The center on the campus of the Alabama Robotics Technology Park is expected to open in early 2026.
Meanwhile, the Alabama Mobility and Power (AMP) Center in Tuscaloosa is a world-class research and development hub for creating and sustaining modern mobility and power technologies, developing charging infrastructure and managing power delivery to support large-scale growth of EVs.
The center was founded through a partnership among the University of Alabama, Alabama Power and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International to create a premier research and development hub for EV and mobility innovation.
This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.
