U.S. DOE Invests $5M in Advancing Lithium Battery Manufacturing and Workforce

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the AFL-CIO, announced that it is investing $5 million to launch a strategy for lithium-battery manufacturing, as reported by PV Magazine.

This initiative is part of suite of announcements from President Biden’s Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization committed to taking action to support coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities as the nation transitions to a clean energy economy.

Lithium batteries power everything from electric vehicles to consumer electronics and are a critical component of President Biden’s whole-of-government decarbonization strategy. The DOE and the Biden administration are investing in this critical area in order to establish a secure end-to-end battery materials and technology supply chain. Currently China is the leader in the global lithium-ion battery production market, according to a Wood Mackenzie report. And while the United States is supporting its battery industry, China is investing heavily to build out more manufacturing facilities to extend its dominance.