The Infrastructure Law has been funded with$ 3. 5 billion by the Biden-Harris Administration to increase domestic battery production.
The money will be used to build innovative, upgraded, and expanded US battery manufacturing facilities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America initiative.
The investment, which is managed by DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, places a strong emphasis on keeping and producing well-paying union jobs in the manufacturing sector.
It backs the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to build a regional supply chain of essential raw materials, increase EV uptake, and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
According to US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm,” Posing the United States front and center to meet the growing demand for innovative batteries is how we strengthen our fresh energy economy, maintain and create good-paying jobs, and increase global competitiveness.”
” President Biden’s historical investments are providing the boost required to create a strong private battery supply chain that is Made in America.”
The significance of US battery production
Batteries are essential to the switch to clean energy and to grid storage regional competitiveness. By the end of the decade, the market for lithium batteries is anticipated to grow five to ten times as demand for EVs and stable storage continues to rise.
As a result, it is crucial that the US invest in the ability to hasten the creation of an efficient supply chain for high-capacity batteries, including non-lithium batteries.
The next funding stage
The announcement of funding totaling$ 3.5 billion is a component of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s second$ 6 billion funding phase.
DOE provided funding for 15 projects in the first phase that are igniting more than$ 5.8 billion in public and private investment.
In order to support the switch to clean energy, the next phase will increase US battery production.
- ensuring that the US has a viable market for processing battery materials,
- Increasing the US’s capacity for battery manufacturing,
- reducing the US’s reliance on battery materials and essential minerals from unrelated international entities
- Increasing the regional processing capacity of essential minerals
- supporting the idea that overburdened communities receive 40 % of the overall benefits of federal investments, and
- giving lower- and moderate-income communities employment opportunities.
The next phase will prioritize British workers by encouraging projects that foster collective bargaining agreements and a high-wage production workforce.
putting the development of next-generation battery technologies first
Next-generation battery chemistries as well as lithium-based technologies are then given priority by DOE. Preparative production and manufacturing for specialized duty markets are two additional innovative areas of focus.
It is even necessary to expand production facilities for cathode and anodes in US battery manufacturing projects.