As deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) surges, the leading battery lifecycle services company provides guidance on managing the complex regulatory landscape.
CHICAGO, IL / ACCESS Newswire / January 20, 2026 / Industrial batteries play a progressively pivotal role in reducing electricity grid congestion and increasing grid resilience, as well as electrifying mobility. Improvements in technology and manufacturing processes have been driving down cost and triggering demand growth, but managing battery end of life remains challenging. In a new white paper, Renewance, Inc. clarifies how BESS and EV battery owners and operators can reduce end-of-life risk, control costs, and meet tightening compliance obligations. The paper explains the current regulatory landscape, common pitfalls that drive avoidable expenses, and practical steps asset owners can take to improve safety and sustainability outcomes.
"Owners and operators are asking for actionable guidance that connects safety, cost, and compliance," said Renewance COO and co-founder Thomas Newhall. "This paper distills field lessons from real projects and shows how a structured, cradle-to-grave approach turns regulatory complexity into predictable workflows and better financial outcomes."
Renewance recently marked its 10-year anniversary and has delivered services across more than 150 sites for over 100 industry customers and partners. This latest release builds on the company's decade of work helping industrial battery stakeholders manage risk from commissioning through end-of-life. Renewance supports customers with field services, specialized logistics, and digital compliance tools that enable safe operations and responsible recycling or repurposing of batteries in support of the clean energy transition.
The white paper frames end-of-life planning as a practical necessity, not a final step. BESS assets can fail at any point in their lifecycle due to damage, misuse, latent defects, or recalls. The paper recommends treating end of life readiness like a plan written at the start of the project: Assign roles, set budgets, and define processes for removal, transport, and recycling or repurposing before problems emerge.
A central takeaway is that legal responsibility is often misunderstood. While any BESS deployment involves three parties (the battery OEM, the system integrator, and the owner operator), U.S. regulations typically deem the owner operator the waste generator because their operation creates the disposal need. Unless contracts explicitly transfer title back to the OEM, the owner-operator generally remains responsible for waste classification, handling, and downstream compliance.
The paper also breaks down the regulatory stack that governs end of life management. DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations address packaging, labeling, transport, training, security, and recordkeeping for batteries as hazardous materials. EPA rules under RCRA govern generation, storage, treatment, transport, and disposal of hazardous waste, with important distinctions between intact batteries that may qualify for Universal Waste handling and damaged or leaking units that may trigger full hazardous waste requirements. The paper also notes that state overlays can add requirements, reinforcing why early planning and documentation matter.
Renewance offers a growing library of research for industry decision-makers. Readers can explore three companion white papers covering battery regulatory compliance, emerging reuse pathways, and ESG reporting approaches on the Renewance white papers page at batterystewardship.com/resources/white-papers/.
The white paper is available for download now. For organizations planning BESS or EV battery projects, it serves as a practical reference on role clarity, program governance, and verifiable reporting so that end-of-life is designed in from day one rather than treated as an afterthought.
For more information, visit www.renewance.net
About Renewance, Inc.
Renewance, Inc. is a Chicago-based leading provider of battery life cycle services for the Energy Storage (ES) and Electric Vehicle (EV) industries. Renewance provides technical field services, warehousing and logistics, project management services, and software solutions that enable clients to manage their assets more effectively and responsibly throughout their operating life, ensuring the optimal performance and longevity of batteries, as well as safe recycling or repurposing of spent batteries in an economically viable, regulatory compliant and environmentally responsible manner.
Media Contact
Thomas Newhall
COO
thomas.newhall@renewance.net
(518) 930-8895
SOURCE: Renewance Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/renewance-releases-white-paper-on-end-of-life-risk-cost-and-comp-1128837
