Author: Tim De Chant

Sometimes the smallest of news items can point to bigger trends lurking beneath the surface. Case in point: Google announced late last month that it has installed 100 million lithium-ion cells across its data centers to provide backup power to its servers. On its own, it’s not earth-shattering news. But it shines a light on a trend that’s rippling through the world. Batteries are everywhere, and thanks to the relentless push to slash costs for electric vehicles, they’re driving change in myriad parts of the economy. Years ago, in Google’s data centers, server racks were anchored with lead-acid battery backup…