US DoE announces American Battery Material Initiative

The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has recently announced the launch of the 'American Battery Material Initiative', a dedicated effort to bolster battery materials supply chain in the country.

The initiative will align federal investments and activities, both within and outside the country, to accelerate the development of the full end-to-end battery supply chain, including the critical minerals and materials needed to meet production and deployment goals.

The Initiative will be led by DOE, with support from the Department of the Interior, and work closely with the Partnership on Global Infrastructure and Investment and the Department of State to align and leverage dozens of programs and efforts across the federal government to support and grow the battery supply chain, including resources through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

The Initiative will also coordinate domestic and international efforts to accelerate permitting for critical minerals projects, ensuring that the United States develops the resources the country needs in an efficient and timely manner, while strengthening Tribal consultation, community engagement, and environmental standards to build smarter, faster, and fairer.

The announcement was part of the Biden-Harris administration's larger strategy to boost the EV and grid-scale energy storage battery manufacturing landscape in the country, which included a $ 2.8 billion grant to 20 companies in the battery manufacturing supply chain.