Batteries

The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and SK hynix have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms to provide up to $450 million in proposed federal incentives under the CHIPS and Science Act to establish a high-bandwidth memory (HBM) advanced packaging fabrication and R&D facility.

The U.S. Department of Energy finalized its guidance interpreting the statutory definition of “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC) in Section 40207 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The FEOC interpretive guidance is designed to limit the participation of FEOCs in domestic battery supply chains and bolster the growth of domestic and friend-shored battery materials processing and manufacturing.

The U.S. Department of Energy, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor, today announced the release of the Battery Workforce Initiative’s National Guideline Standards for registered apprenticeships for battery machine operators.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service released proposed guidance on the section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit established by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which is already creating good-paying American jobs by spurring a U.S. manufacturing boom in communities across the country, strengthening America’s energy security, and incentivizing onshoring of clean energy components and critical minerals in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Energy released a notice of its proposed guidance and a request for public comment on its proposed interpretation of the statutory definition of “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC) in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is designed to limit the participation of FEOCs within domestic battery supply chains, particularly within government-supported programs, and bolster the growth of domestic and friend-shored battery materials processing and manufacturing.

The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $2 million grant to the city of Etowah, Tennessee, for redevelopment of the local water treatment plant. This grant will provide for the establishment of a new manufacturing facility that will support the electric vehicle and battery storage industries, in a region impacted by changes in the energy economy.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $15.5 billion package of funding and loans primarily focused on retooling existing factories for the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) —supporting good jobs and a just transition to EVs. This includes making available $2 billion in grants and up to $10 billion in loans to support automotive manufacturing conversion projects that retain high-quality jobs in communities that currently host these manufacturing facilities.

The Department of Defense (DOD) showcased more than 80 technologies critical to national defense during a demonstration event at the Pentagon. Hosted by the Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program, also known as DOD ManTech, the meet-and-greet event featured advanced manufacturing technologies from its nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes and the Service ManTech Programs, including Navy, Air Force, Missile Defense Agency, and the Defense Logistics Agency.