Multivalent-ion batteries have been under investigation as a technology that can provide energy densities beyond that provided by lithium ion batteries. An emerging cation of interest is calcium, as it has similar electrochemical properties and size to sodium, and systems incorporating it have high theoretical density. Common techniques used to investigate intercalation, such as NMR, are currently unable to distinguish calcium's role in energy storage materials. In this work, we investigated the ability of calcium XANES to provide fingerprint identification of intercalated species using Ca ion exchanged Na x CoO 2 and a Ca(PF 6 ) 2 -based electrolyte as a case study. Ca XANES was able to detect intercalation down to concentrations of ∼1 Ca per 950 Å 3 , even with residual electrolyte on the surface. The ability to observe the structure of the intercalated ion will enable the discovery of new electrolytes and intercalation cathodes by helping to confirm theoretical predictions, allowing multivalent batteries to become a viable high energy density storage 8 but understanding and improving upon multivalent intercalation requires experimental observation of the intercalated species and correlating it with the resulting structural changes, in combination with the electrochemistry of interest. In the case of Mg ion intercalation, spectroscopic tools such as 25 Mg nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) 7,9 have been developed, in combination with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), to provide strong evidence of magnesium ion intercalation, and in some cases, identify cases of solvent co-intercalation, the presence of structural protons, or nanoscale decomposition.10,11 Whereas magnesium (Mg 2+ ) and aluminum (Al 3+ ) cations have received the most attention as multivalent alternatives to lithium (Li + ), calcium cations (Ca 2+ ) have been identified as a promising candidate ion for transport of multiple electrons due to the high theoretical volumetric capacity of a calcium metal anode.12 Calcium may also provide advantages as compared to magnesium due to its more negative reduction potential and larger ionic radius, which may allow for faster diffusion. Unlike for magnesium and yttrium ions, however, NMR is not currently a practical diagnostic tool for determining the local structure of the calcium ion to confirm intercalation because of the low abundance and poor sensitivity of 43 Ca, the most active calcium isotope. Therefore, different approaches need to be developed to validate the alternative design paradigm, notably using the Materials Project, 3 which hypothesizes that cations in undesirable coordination environments are more likely to have high diffusivity than ones in stable coordination environment. By providing data for such models, the process of screening potential intercalation cathodes can be narrowed. In addition, this * Electrochemical Society Member.c Present Address: Spectrum Brands -Rayovac, Madison...