DOE To Provide $2.91 Billion To Boost Production Of Advanced Batteries

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
February 13, 2022

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently issued two notices of intent to provide $2.91 billion to boost production of advanced batteries, including for electric vehicles and energy storage, as directed by the bipartisan infrastructure law.

DOE intends to fund battery materials refining and production plants, battery cell and pack manufacturing facilities, and recycling facilities that create good-paying clean energy jobs.

The funding is expected to be made available in the coming months.

In June 2021, DOE published a 100-day review of the large-capacity-battery supply chain, pursuant to Executive Order 14017, America’s Supply Chains. The review recommended establishing domestic production and processing capabilities for critical materials to support a fully domestic end-to-end battery supply chain.

The infrastructure law allocates nearly $7 billion to strengthen the U.S. battery supply chain, which includes producing and recycling critical minerals without new extraction or mining, and sourcing materials for domestic manufacturing. 

Funding from the law will allow DOE to support the creation of new, retrofitted, and expanded domestic facilities for battery recycling and the production of battery materials, cell components, and battery manufacturing.

The funding will also support research, development, and demonstration of second-life applications for batteries once used to power EVs, as well as new processes for recycling, reclaiming, and adding materials back into the battery supply chain.

Both forthcoming opportunities are aligned with the National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries, guidance released last year by the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries and led by DOE alongside the Departments of Defense, Commerce, and State. The blueprint details a path to ensuring a domestic battery supply and accelerating the development of a domestic industrial base by 2030.

Those interested in applying for the upcoming funding opportunities are encouraged to register to receive notifications about key dates within the application process by signing up for the Vehicle Technologies Office newsletter.

The notices are available here.

Click here for resources and opportunities for public power tied to the infrastructure law curated by the American Public Power Association.