Landrieu added, “The bipartisan Infrastructure Act is directing more than $ 7 billion to strengthen the U.S. battery supply chain to help us avoid downtime, cut costs, and accelerate battery production in the United States to cover it. “So today, the Department of Energy is announcing $ 3.16 billion to support the construction, processing and recycling of batteries funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law.” Biden previously set a goal of electric vehicles accounting for more than half of all vehicle sales by 2030. The Infrastructure Act also includes $ 7.5 billion for electric vehicle chargers, $ 5 billion for electric buses, $ 5 billion dollars for clean and electric school buses. The funding will help secure the battery supply chain and build capacity, said National Economic Council Director Brian Dees, and will also improve competition in the US. But it also has an impact on national security amid the wider energy security and independence challenges that have come to light during the Ukraine war over the past two months. “We have seen in recent days, (President Vladimir) Putin trying to use Russia’s energy supply as a weapon against other nations. And that underscores why it is so important for us in the United States to reinvest and take over your energy. safety and building a reliable end-to-end supply chain for batteries and storage and production of electric vehicles is one of the most important things we can do to ensure this long-term energy security, which ultimately must include clean energy security. economy, “Deese said. It will help sponsor private investment and “create dozens of companies across the United States to build capacity in a way we have not done in decades,” Deese said.
The $ 3 billion will be allocated to the production and recycling of critical minerals, without new mining or supply of materials for domestic production. “We will ensure that the United States is not just a world leader in battery life, but in the innovation of advanced battery technologies we need in the future, in supply chain security so that we are less vulnerable to global supply disruptions and this industry is sustainable. recycling materials and using cleaner production processes, “said climate consultant Gina McCarthy. The funding will be distributed through federal grants, and officials expect to fund up to 30 grants after technical and commercial reviews and evaluations, officials said.