How much will the Energy Department spend on battery production in 2023?

The Energy Department is making a push to strengthen the U.S. battery supply chain, announcing Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, up to $3.5 billion for companies that produce batteries and the critical minerals that go into them. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

What does the bipartisan infrastructure law mean for battery production?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, two years after President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3.5 billion from the Infrastructure Law to boost domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials nationwide.

Are batteries a climate solution?

The Energy Department is making a push to strengthen the U.S. battery supply chain, announcing up to $3.5 billion for companies that produce batteries and the critical minerals that go into them. Batteries are seen as an important climate solution because they can power cars, which are a major cause of climate change when they burn gasoline.

Why are lithium-based batteries important?

Advanced, lithium-based batteries play an integral role in 21st-century technologies such as electric vehicles and stationary grid storage that will be critical to securing America’s clean energy future.

Why is the US importing battery components from abroad?

Today, the U.S. relies heavily on importing advanced battery components from abroad, exposing the nation to supply chain vulnerabilities that threaten to disrupt the availability and cost of these technologies, as well as the workforce that manufactures them.

Will US battery production & manufacturing catch up with the semiconductor industry?

Jodie Lutkenhaus, professor of chemical engineering at Texas A&M University, said she is closely watching U.S. battery production and manufacturing. “I’m worried that we may not catch up and end up in the same situation we’re in now with the semiconductor industry,” she said.