Title: 

Systemic Consequences of Technology Choice in Clean Energy Supply Chains: Vulnerability and Competitiveness in Battery Critical Minerals
 

Abstract: 

Achieving large-scale energy transitions requires rapid deployment of clean energy technologies, which in turn depend on interconnected manufacturing and supply chain processes. While prior work has examined resource extraction and downstream product manufacturing in detail, less attention has been paid to the intermediate stages of materials refining and component manufacturing, where technology choices propagate across the supply chain and shape the range of possible system trajectories. 
In this talk, I present an integrated modeling framework that explores these intermediate supply chains in the context of electric vehicle batteries and their associated critical minerals, linking technology-level decisions to system-level outcomes, such as supply chain vulnerability, economic competitiveness, and emissions. More broadly, this work provides a pathway for incorporating technology and materials details into systems-level energy and climate analyses, supporting more robust decision-making in energy transitions. 

Bio:

Anthony Cheng is a PhD Candidate (ABD) in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. His work examines how technology, supply chain, and policy choices shape the competitiveness and resilience of clean energy and critical mineral systems, with a current focus on electric vehicle batteries. Methodologically, his research develops and applies integrated technoeconomic, environmental, and supply chain modeling frameworks to connect process-level technology characteristics to macro-energy systems and policy decision-making. He is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and holds an S.B. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT, with additional training in computer science, energy systems, and entrepreneurship. Prior to his doctoral work, he engaged in both research and industry work spanning industrial decarbonization, data science, and clean technology commercialization.