2023 Cundill History Prize FinalistFor a clean energy future, few technologies are more important thanbatteries. Used for powering zero-emission vehicles, storing electricity from solar panels and wind turbines, and revitalizing the electric grid,batteriesare essential to scaling up the renewable energy resources that help addressglobal warming. But given the unique environmental impact ofbatteries, including mining, disposal, and more, does a clean energy transition risk trading one set of problems for another?InCharged,James Morton Turnerunpacks the history ofbatteriesto explore why solving“the battery problem”is critical to a clean energy transition. At a time when climate activists focus on what a clean energy future will create “sustainability, resiliency, & climate justice” considering the history of batteries offers a sharp reminder of what buildinga clean energy futurewill consume “lithium, graphite, nickel, & other specialized materials.” With new insight on questions of justice and sustainability,Turnerdraws on the past for crucial lessons that will help us build a clean energy future, from the ground up.°°°James Morton Turneris Professor of Environmental Studies at Wellesley College. He is author ofThe Promise of Wilderness: American Environmental Politics Since 1964& co-author ofThe Republican Reversal: Conservatives & the Environment from Nixon to Trump.