Batteries

This is quite a lot more money than I can remember having seen allocated via EERE in the past (of course, whut do I know?)
EERE is really going at it nowadays (in my opinion).
Anyway, I hope we HAVE the critical minerals.

"Biden Administration Announces $3.16 Billion from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Boost Domestic Battery Manufacturing and Supply Chains
DOE Funding Will Support Growing Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Demands Through Increased Battery Manufacturing, Processing, and Recycling

"WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $3.1 billion in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make more batteries and components in America, bolster domestic supply chains, create good-paying jobs, and help lower costs for families. The infrastructure investments will support the creation of new, retrofitted, and expanded commercial facilities as well as manufacturing demonstrations and battery recycling. DOE is also announcing a separate $60 million to support second-life applications for batteries once used to power EVs, as well as new processes for recycling materials back into the battery supply chain. Both funding opportunities are key components of the Administration’s whole-of-government supply chain strategy to strengthen America’s energy independence to reduce our reliance on competing nations and support the President’s goal to have electric vehicles make up half of all vehicles sales in America by 2030.  

" “Positioning the United States front and center in meeting the growing demand for advanced batteries is how we boost our competitiveness and electrify our transportation system,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “President Biden’s historic investment in battery production and recycling will give our domestic supply chain the jolt it need to become more secure and less reliant on other nations—strengthening our clean energy economy, creating good paying jobs, and decarbonizing the transportation sector.”

"With the global lithium-ion battery market expected to grow rapidly over the next decade, DOE is working with industry to prepare the United States for increased market demand. As of the end of March 2022, more than 2.5 million plug-in electric vehicles have been sold in America, with more than 800,000 of those having been sold since President Biden took office. Battery costs have fallen more than 90% and since 2008, and energy density and performance have increased rapidly, paving the way for an accelerated transition to zero-emission vehicles. Responsible and sustainable domestic sourcing of the critical materials used to make lithium-ion batteries—such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite—will help avoid or mitigate supply chain disruptions and accelerate battery production in America to meet this demand and support the adoption of electric vehicles.  

" “I secured provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the domestic critical mineral supply chain used in battery production,” said U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (NV). “Nevada’s innovation economy is at the forefront of battery manufacturing and recycling, and the infrastructure law could bring vital new investments to the state. These grants to grow U.S. battery manufacturing are going to create good-paying jobs, spur our economic competitiveness, and help us combat the climate crisis. I appreciate Secretary Granholm and the dedicated staff of the Department of Energy for advancing this priority in timely manner.”

" “The future of mobility is electric – and this support could help to ensure Michigan remains on the forefront of innovation by shoring up our supply chains for advanced battery technologies necessary to deploy the next all-electric fleet,” said U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI). “I was proud to help secure this funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to lessen our dependence on foreign producers like the Chinese government for these critical technologies – and help our automakers meet the growing demand for cleaner, safer cars.”

" “The 13th Congressional District is home to many frontline communities that have already seen the devastating impacts of climate change which underline the urgent need for a just and equitable energy transition,” said U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib (MI-13). “I am thankful to Secretary Granholm and the Department of Energy for visiting our communities and investing in the future with the announcement of funding to increase battery production. This type of funding is what we need to ensure that a green future is accessible to all.  I look forward to continuing to work with the DOE to ensure we rapidly deliver clean, renewable energy and a livable planet for generations to come.”

"The “Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing” and “Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second Life Applications” funding opportunities are aligned with the National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries, authored by the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries, and led by DOE and the Departments of Defense, Commerce, and State. The blueprint details a path to bolstering the domestic battery supply by equitably creating a robust and diverse battery workforce by 2030. In alignment with President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, establishing a goal that 40% of the benefits of Federal investments in climate and clean energy flow to disadvantaged communities, applicants for new funding opportunities will be prompted to consider how project benefits can flow to relevant disadvantaged communities. DOE’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity today issued a letter to Americans that reiterates this mandate as a priority for President Biden’s Administration.

"Strengthening America’s Supply Chains

"In response to President Biden’s Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains, DOE issued a 100-day review of the large capacity battery supply chain which recommended establishing domestic production and processing capabilities for critical materials to support a fully domestic end-to-end battery supply chain, as well as investments in battery recycling and the circular economy to increase domestic supply and reduce the future need for new extraction and raw materials.  

"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law directs more than $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. The funding opportunities mark the first to be released as a collaboration between DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the new Office of Manufacturing and Supply Chains, created by DOE’s organizational realignment to ensure that the Department has the structure needed to effectively implement the clean energy investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Energy Act of 2020. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also includes $7.5 billion for electric vehicle chargers, $5 billion for electric transit buses, and $5 billion for clean and electric school buses.  

" To learn more about these opportunities visit EERE Exchange. "

https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-administration-announces-316-billion-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-boost-domestic

Can you precis this document?
Its very hard to read.
can it be put into point form?

I hope you're not hoping for a perfect precis.    (checking out the blurb at bottom of your posts  )  

hunh, whut's a precis?  ( )  oh (looked it up).  

It says 3.16 billion in the header, but later in the article it mentions "more than 7 billion" being allocated so the USA can make its own batteries and find and sustainably access the various minerals required for making strong batteries, such as are necessary for the forthcoming demand for electric vehicles.

It does appear that we are in a pickle regarding having enough batteries for the plans for transition to electric vehicles.  
I'd mentioned an Axios article in the other post about the "Vehicle to Everything" idea for using citizen-owned batteries as an extra source for the energy/electric grid.  The article discusses the pickle we're in about batteries:  https://www.axios.com/the-race-to-dominate-the-new-battery-economy-119e0479-46a7-47ec-885f-f00079c4adb5.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioswhatsnext&stream=science

So it is necessary to review, discover, think about, and finally find a way for companies to make the heavy-duty batteries that are prognosticated to be needed for the fairly-soon future.  The Axios article mentions "invoked the Cold War-era Defense Production Act to encourage domestic mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals —such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and manganese — that are required for EVs and clean-energy storage systems."  

So they're throwing money at the problem which seems to work, huh?  (but whut do I know?)

Really, that Axios article is kind of vague in some respects, but it's important (and there are undoubtedly more articles on the 'net) ... we (and the whole planet!) are trying to go through transition from gas and oil ... to batteries meant to store energy ... produced SOME other way than from gas and oil.  Where's the energy going to come FROM?  That's what y'all here have been pondering for a loooong time, huh?  

I am no expert on producing energy!  not at all!  I'm "okay" at CONSERVING energy to a small degree!  We try!  But PRODUCING energy?  via solar, via wind, via batteries made of sugar?  wow, super complex.  And that's what "alternative energy" is all about.  

Lately I STILL KEEP WONDERING, like about an article I'd read about greenhouses:
https://www.technocracy.news/chinas-technocrats-forget-farmers-its-greenhouses/
"China will build 2 Million hectares (20 billion square meters) of controlled environment greenhouses by 2025 and this will produce half of their vegetables and crop needs. Temperature, humidity, lighting would all be under controlled conditions. It would not matter if there were new extreme temperature swings outside or if there was drought. The needed food and water would be immune to any projected climate change over the next 500-1000 years."

But ... don't greenhouses contribute to ... global warming?  The whole point of reducing CO2 in the atmosphere is to reduce the "greenhouse effect," but ... um ... greenhouses must add to the "greenhouse effect," regardless of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere?  They add to the "greenhouse effect" by preventing the sun's energy from bouncing back into space ... just like CO2 in the atmosphere does.  

another thing I think:  all the glass buildings that aren't shaded and absorb sunlight (then use air conditioning (and energy) to cool them off) ALSO contribute to the "greenhouse effect," seems to me.   Twice!  Once by absorbing and holding sun-energy, and secondly by using energy-eating air conditioning.)   So EERE ... might consider pushing people into buying window shades and blinds and stuff?  Or that kind of glass or a film that shifts to opaque when the temp gets above a certain level?  
Just a thought.  I have a LOT of thoughts.  So do we all.  But amazingly, somebody is actually planning and doing something.  

Well this hasn't been a "precis," but rather rambling ...

What we do NOT want would be for unsustainable too-expensive, impossible requirements to be put on people in order to transition away from traditionally used fuels.  

oh yeah, and another aspect of the article:  recycling li-ion batteries is also important.  So they're researching how to do it.  Safely.
"DOE is also announcing a separate $60 million to support second-life applications for batteries once used to power EVs, as well as new processes for recycling materials back into the battery supply chain."

What is EERE supposed to mean?  Please don't use acronyms if you don't define them.

oh, sorry, I've been reading their emails for such a long time I forgot other people may not know what they are:

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, otherwise known as "EERE."  
Regarding their "mission" (from the following link:)   "EERE’s mission is to drive the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of innovative technologies, systems, and practices that will (1) help transition Americans to a 100% clean energy economy no later than 2050 and (2) ensure the clean energy economy benefits all Americans."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Energy_Efficiency_and_Renewable_Energy