The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law recently allocated about $74 million through the US Department of Energy for ten initiatives aimed at promoting battery recycling and reusing for electric vehicles, as per the Associated Press.
Fund grantees
The said funds will be distributed to academic and business candidates in seven states, including four in California. Apart from these states, Nevada, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, Indiana, and Alabama also received grants.
How will the initiatives help America’s technological advancements?
Notably, $10 million will be given to the University of California-San Diego to advance and commercialize li-ion battery recycling technology. On the other hand, $7.9 million will be granted to Element Energy in Menlo Park, California, for a wind energy project in west Texas.
Along with Next Era Energy Resources, Element Energy is pursuing commercial-scale technologies. The said partnership aims to expand the market for energy storage batteries made from used batteries.
It is worth mentioning that in the last two years, electric vehicle sales have dramatically increased. Remarkably, EV sales are anticipated to continue rising owing to the climate and health law passed in August and the $1 trillion infrastructure law signed last year.
The Energy Department stated:
“With demand for critical battery minerals, such as lithium and graphite, projected to increase by as much as 4,000% in the coming decades, this latest round of funding supports the recycling and reuse segment of the domestic battery supply chain.”
The officials claim that these initiatives will advance American battery production, reduce disruptions in the battery supply chain, and generate high-paying employment.
As per the report, the announcement came after a $2.8 billion grant last month to support domestic electric vehicle battery production in 12 states.
That said, grants will be awarded to 20 businesses for initiatives that would boost the US supply of vital minerals. Apart from that, these businesses are also expected to produce componentry, extract and process lithium, graphite, and other battery-related materials.
“Recycling advanced batteries presents an enormous opportunity for America to support the creation of a secure and resilient domestic battery supply chain to reach our clean energy and transportation future,” said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
She elaborated, “The historic investments of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are making it possible for cross-sector collaboration that will fuel America’s technological breakthroughs and eliminate our overreliance on other nations to meet our clean energy goals.”
