The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced it will sideline $3.1 billion in funding from the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to support domestic battery manufacturing and make improvements to the U.S. supply chain.
Funding will be split into two separate categories: Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second Life Applications. The battery funding portion will take up the vast majority of the available funding and will support projects focused on upgrading and modernizing battery manufacturing infrastructure. The second portion, meanwhile, sidelines $60 million for companies and projects focused on the sustainable sourcing and processing of rare earth minerals and end-of-life battery collection and recycling. This will include exploring second-life applications for used EV batteries, like backup energy storage, for example.
In order to receive funding from this portion of the BIL, a project must “not only contribute to the energy technology and climate goals,” the White House said, but also support the BIL’s objectives to “invest in America’s workforce by including specific elements to accelerate job growth and job quality,” and advance the DOE’s “equity, environmental and energy justice priorities.” The Biden Admin has touted an America-first attitude with its efforts to invest in the country’s infrastructure, prioritizing companies and projects that vow to create good-paying, unionized jobs in the U.S.
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said this fund will give the domestic supply chain “the jolt it needs to become more secure and less reliant on other nations— strengthening our clean energy economy, creating good-paying jobs, and decarbonizing the transportation sector.”
The DOE last year conducted a 100-day review of the large-capacity battery supply chain, which suggested the White House establish domestic production and processing capabilities for battery materials to support a fully domestic, end-to-end battery supply chain. The DOE also suggested the White House make investments in battery recycling and the circular economy to increase domestic supply and reduce the future need for new extraction and raw materials.
Subscribe to GM Authority as we bring you the latest GM-related Joe Biden news, GM electric vehicle news, GM-related politics news and ongoing GM news coverage.
Comments
So once again how much is products from China or Russia or some place that will cost a ton of greenbacks. To the EV trolls get over it no all of the US wants EV. Check what some EU bosses say about the big rush.
EV sales double or more every 18 months. Consumers realize the benefits of pure EV, significantly greater reliability, a break from gas, and more. Nearly every company is back ordered and sold out for current and upcoming models.
Gas cars are the ones sitting around. Funny. They are becoming assets nobody wants to deal with. As the price on electrics go down, gas car prices go up.
Gas is riding into the sunset, unfortunately we can’t kick it away fast enough. Too many people want to hang on and keep trying to pull that sun up as it’s going down.
Beings consumer is not by choice by consumer, it taugh how we are going to live and become the norm:
It’s a learning process and a sales job to old school getting people comfortable with a changing product or future moving to mass transit and ai vehicles that are self driving.
Old Retired guy
Sad that someone could live most of their life. Get to retirement age, and still not know what DOMESTIC means.
Just sad.
Go ask for another handout bum.
Matt
I’m a BIG CITY Liberal. Odds are: I work harder than you; Make more money than you; and pay a hell of a lot more taxes than you do! With out tax dollars from BIG CITY Liberals red state America would look like Somalia. So next time you’re on the highway on the way to your local Farm & Fleet. Remember it was tax dollars from BIG CITY Liberals that paid for that highway.
Wait the guy who was complaining about people not getting loans all of sudden works hard? Peter you don’t need to change your username.
Would you buy a gas vehicle that had a shrinking fuel tank? Would you buy a used EV? Remember when all the talk was about hybrids and how they were the future? Somehow we’ve gotten to a “EV or nothing” future and that EV bubble is going to burst one day.
It’s no different than a gas car that gets decreased mpg and efficiency as it ages. Burns oil, loses fluids, worn rings and valve seats. EV has a better brighter future, and innovation is on a fast track with all the competition. Gas engines are at their limits, and therefore the end. It’s time.
Anyone who just blanket statements, “EVs are the future or EVs only,” clearly has never towed or hauled in their life. I can assure you, there are a LOT of people who need tow-capable vehicles that don’t need or want 3/4-plus ton trucks (which would probably be EV exempt).
People aren’t going to settle for 100-150 mile towing ranges, with long/extended recharge downtime, plus nonexistent end-location infrastructure.
SingleMaltScotch
80% of vehicles on the road don’t have a trailer hitch. EVs could take over without any towing capability. In the future we maybe able to rent trailers with batteries or outboard batteries. Greatly increasing range and towing capacity
people really can’t see the writing on the wall. They’re going fully electric and drive by wire because it enables autonomous driving. I listened to Bob Lutz say that we have to go AV at SAE WCX. OE will go to a subscription based system so that you won’t own a car. You will pay to have them taxi you around. You will just sit in the taxi and be entertained by the large screen monitor. Nevermind not knowing how to drive, but how to fix a car, or build one will disappear. And most people will be OK with this.
Sorry, you could call Bob Lutz an idiot for making such a statement, but we will chalk him saying it to dementia.. Anyone who willingly gives up their freedom of personal vehicle ownership to be ferried around in AVs is ignorant and should not be surprised when their grandchildren are ferried off to concentration camps. Giving government total control over your means of getting around-and face it, that’s what it is- would only be the start.
We have to go AV! Says who exactly, our dictator governments? I have yet to hear a single customer, car friend or anybody in general that is asking for this. Most people will not be okay with having the American dream taken away and having to rely on some stupid ugly blob to ferry them around as it opens up so many problems. What if I just want to take a drive at night to relieve stress? What if I need to go to the ER right away because my stomach is in severe pain and can’t wait 15 minutes for one of these silly things to show up or an ambulance? How do I get to work everyday on time or work overtime and access this? What about people that live 20 miles out in the country? What if it’s storming out and the darn thing goes off the road and gets stuck with nobody around to see it or do anything about it. Way too many variables involved to make this crap work out in the real world. And Lutz is a fool for suggesting such nonsense and often makes outlandish comments like this.
Agreed about Lutz. He’s like that accomplished ballplayer that plays one more year too many.
Also agreed about the AVs. You did forget to mention the fact that they would be garbage and germ infested as well. I think too much of myself and family to allow them to ride in something like that.