The Future of Batteries Might Be Built on Salt with Battery Scientist Shirley Meng

On this episode of Path to Zero, recorded at CERAWeek in Houston, host Tucker Perkins sits down with one of the world’s leading battery scientists, Shirley Meng.

Dr. Meng is a professor of molecular engineering at the University of Chicago and a globally recognized expert in next-generation energy storage. She also plays a leading role in a U.S. Department of Energy–backed research initiative focused on advancing  new battery chemistries and scaling them for real-world use. Meng announced in May of 2026 that she will become vice president for innovation and global affairs at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in the summer of 2026.

From breakthrough materials to global supply chains, Meng offers a clear-eyed view of where batteries are headed and why the future may depend less on rare minerals and more on something surprisingly familiar.

A New Kind of Battery

For decades, lithium-ion batteries have powered everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. But as demand surges, so do concerns around cost, supply chains, and access to critical materials.

Meng and her team are working on an alternative: sodium-ion batteries.

The concept is simple but powerful. As she explains, “a new battery chemistry called sodium ion batteries… It’s table salt.”

Because sodium is widely available, these batteries can avoid many of the materials that are harder to source globally. In fact, Meng emphasizes one of their biggest advantages: “We don’t use lithium, we don’t use nickel, we don’t use cobalt, so no critical elements.”

That shift could help enable more localized manufacturing and a more resilient energy supply chain.

Not a Replacement—But a Complement

Despite the promise, Meng is clear that sodium-ion batteries are not a one-for-one replacement for lithium-ion.

Lithium remains unmatched when it comes to energy density—making it essential for applications where space and weight are limited, like smartphones and high-performance electric vehicles.

Instead, sodium batteries are best suited for use cases where those constraints are less important. As Meng notes, “sodium ion battery is not going to replace lithium ion… but in use cases where the volume is not a restriction.”

That includes grid-scale storage, data centers, and other applications where cost, durability, and scalability matter most.

Solving the Grid’s Biggest Weak Spot

As renewable energy sources like wind and solar continue to grow, one challenge remains constant: storing energy for when it’s needed most.

That’s where batteries become critical.

Meng sees energy storage as one of the defining challenges of the energy transition and one of the biggest opportunities. If costs continue to fall, batteries could help deliver reliable, around-the-clock clean energy at scale.

She points to a future where storage costs reach breakthrough levels: “If you think about one day we show the world the storage cost is only $0.03 per kilowatt hour. That is a game changer.”

From Years to Decades

One of the biggest shifts Meng is focused on isn’t just cost—it’s longevity.

Today’s batteries are often treated as consumable products. But for grid-scale infrastructure, that model doesn’t hold up. Systems are expected to last for decades.

Meng believes batteries should too.

As she puts it, “we want to make batteries not for years—we want to make batteries for decades.”

That shift could fundamentally change how batteries are valued—not as short-term tools, but as long-term energy assets.

Rethinking the Supply Chain

The Path to Zero conversation also highlights a critical reality: batteries are not renewable.

They depend on mining, refining, and manufacturing, which are processes that carry both environmental and geopolitical implications. Today, much of that supply chain is concentrated outside the United States.

Meng stresses the importance of diversifying and localizing supply chains wherever possible. Sodium-based systems offer one path forward, but scaling any battery technology will still require global coordination and investment.