US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm hosted a panel discussion with seven members of the lithium battery industry.

Each member represents a segment of the battery supply chain and discussions focused on how the federal government and private industry can work together to strengthen household lithium.

The Department of Energy maintains that the United States relies heavily on importing advanced battery components from abroad, exposing the country to supply chain vulnerabilities that threaten to disrupt the availability and cost of batteries. technologies, as well as the workforce that makes them.

“America has a clear opportunity to rebuild its national supply chain and manufacturing sectors, so that we can take full advantage of an emerging global $ 23 billion clean energy economy,” said Granholm. “The US Jobs Plan will open huge opportunities for US businesses as it spurs innovation and demand for technologies, such as vehicle batteries and battery storage, creating clean energy jobs. for everyone. ”

Granholm, joined by U.S. Representative Mike Doyle, addressed the recommendations of the recent report National master plan for lithium batteries 2021-2030, which sets out critical goals and key actions to guide federal agency collaboration to accelerate and support a resilient home lithium battery supply chain. The plan, drawn up by the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB), stresses the need for close collaboration between the federal government, US academic institutions, national laboratories, industry stakeholders and international allies.

“The administration’s commitment to bringing the manufacturing and supply chains we need back here to America is not only laudable but essential,” added Representative Doyle.

“Our national security and our economic prosperity depend on it. I think the battery manufacturing industry can be an example for others that with smart federal investments the private sector can bring manufacturing to the United States. It would be great for our economy and for our workers. ”

During the panel discussion, supply chain participants shared both the challenges and opportunities of their current operations and their plans to grow their operations in the United States.

“Electrification targets are threatened by the limits of the supply chain,” noted JB Straubel, CEO of Redwood Materials.

“We see an incredible opportunity in resource recovery, so we don’t waste resources already in the product supply chain and export them in a way that doesn’t benefit our local competitiveness. ”

“We are focused on inventing and scaling the technologies that most efficiently recover materials from lithium-ion batteries and reuse them with high usage. ”

For her part, Applied Materials Director Subra Herle said: “The United States does not currently have the complete supply chain for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries. ”

“The government can help put the pieces together to achieve this, help increase innovation and fund the supply chain consortium of stakeholders along the value chain, as has been done in the industry. semiconductors. ”

During the discussion, Granholm also announced that the United States$ 200 million in funding over the next five years for electric vehicle, battery and connected vehicle projects in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Laboratories, which will support electric vehicle innovation and decarbonize the transportation sector, the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

Funding is open to DOE’s network of 17 national laboratories and is administered by the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office.

https://www.energy.gov/articles/icymi-secretary-granholm-industry-leaders-discuss-public-private-sector-efforts-develop