Administration

Department of Energy Battery Manufacturing Awards Announced by President Biden

October 19, 2022, whitehouse.gov

President Biden announced that the Department of Energy awarded $2.8 billion in grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to twenty manufacturing and processing companies for projects across twelve states. Collectively, the BIL, CHIPS & Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act invests more than $135 billion in domestic production of electric vehicles, including critical minerals sourcing and processing and battery manufacturing. According to the fact sheet, “when matched by recipients, the funding leverages a total of more than $9 billion to boost American production of EV batteries. The projects will have positive impact on their own and, also, catalyze a whole US industry in the critical phases of the battery supply chain.” The awarded funding will support the following:

• • Developing enough battery-grade lithium to supply approximately 2 million EVs annually.
  • Developing enough battery-grade graphite to supply approximately 1.2 million EVs annually.
  • Producing enough battery-grade nickel to supply approximately 400,000 EVs annually.
  • Installing the first large-scale, commercial lithium electrolyte salt (LiPF6) production facility in the United States.
  • Developing an electrode binder facility capable of supplying 45% of the anticipated domestic demand for binders for EV batteries in 2030.
  • Creating the first commercial scale domestic silicon oxide production facilities to supply anode materials for an estimated 600,000 EV batteries annually.
  • Installing the first lithium iron phosphate cathode facility in the United States.

White House “Buy Clean” initiative, New Commitments to Reduce Industrial Emissions and Clean American Manufacturing

October 20, 2022, whitehouse.gov

The Biden-Harris Administration announced new public and private sector commitments aligned with the President’s “Federal Buy Clean Initiative,” which “leverages the Federal Government’s power as the largest purchaser in the world to advance low-carbon construction materials across its procurement and funded infrastructure projects.” On Thursday, National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, and state leaders jointly discussed how to expand the purchase of lower-carbon materials made by American workers.

President Biden Visits Fern Hollow Bridge Eight Months After Collapse

October 20, 2022, whitehouse.gov 

Yesterday, President Biden visited the construction site Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which collapsed the same day the President visited Pittsburgh eight months ago. Rapidly since the collapse, the State of Pennsylvania and City of Pittsburgh have made notable progress in rebuilding the bridge through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. The fact sheet highlights that due to a “strong federal, state, and local government partnership, the Fern Hollow bridge is on an accelerated track to be rebuilt in a single year, compared to a 2- to 5- year timeline common for a similar bridge project.” Funding from the Department of Transportation’s Bridge Formula Program, which launched in January, has provided $5.5 billion in 2022 for states, tribes, and territories to repair bridges, which has already begun improvements to 2,400 bridge projects across the United States so far, exceeding the President goal for the first year.

Press Releases

NTIA Publishes Guide for Workforce Planning

October 19, 2022, NTIA.gov

The NTIA published a new “Workforce Planning Guide” for states and territories to help planning efforts for high-speed Internet deployment projects. According to the press release, the guide “offers strategies to develop a highly trained, diverse workforce that can safely do their jobs to connect everyone in America to high-speed Internet.” The guide is meant to assist entities participating in Internet for All programs, including BEAD program, the Digital Equity Planning Grant program and the Middle Mile program. The Workforce Planning Guide addresses strategies and provides examples for meeting NTIA funding requirements to ensure a “skilled, competitive, and diverse workforce.” The Internet for All initiative's Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program contains workforce requirements that grant recipients and subgrantees must meet when implementing their projects. This guide is part of NTIA’s obligation to provide technical assistance materials those entities need to meet the workforce requirements and promote a skilled workforce. Key components in the guide include:

• • Components of a Workforce Plan - Highlights the requirements and guidance related to workforce development and fair labor standards in the BEAD NOFO.
  • Developing a Workforce Plan - Provides suggested planning steps and pacing for completing grant submissions and key integration points with the Digital Equity Act programs.
  • Strategies and Examples - Offers a range of approaches to meet the workforce needs and offers examples of existing programs at the Federal, state, or local level.
  • Additional Resources - Provides additional resources, including a list of Federal and state agencies that can help answer questions, guiding questions and resources that help conduct a landscape analysis, and a checklist of best practices that eligible entities can use when evaluating workforce programs.

FCC Announces Pilot Program for Tribal Libraries

October 20, 2022, FCC.gov 

The FCC announced the E-Rate program, set to provide support to ensure that schools and libraries can obtain affordable, high-speed broadband services and internal connections. The FCC’s pilot will initially target 20 Tribal libraries that are new to the program or have had challenges applying in the past. The program will provide one-on-one assistance in all aspects of planning and applying for ERate support and help participants once they successfully apply to ensure they are supported during the invoicing and other post-commitment processes. Applications are due on November 18.

News on Infrastructure

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program  

October 19, 2022 CFS

    The Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program has been announced by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to establish up to ten clean hydrogen hubs in regions across the nation. Also referred to as “H2Hubs,” the program will be a key initiative of the Department of Energy’s National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap and is poised to be a pivotal contribution to achieving decarbonization nationally.

Will a labor crunch derail plans to upgrade US infrastructure?

October 17, 2022 McKinsey & Company

This article outlines concerns about the construction workforce, providing data demonstrating a potential labor shortage that will be exacerbated by the increase of infrastructure projects nationally. The analysis explains that because “each project relies on a chain of companies spanning engineering, materials fabrication, distribution, freight, and construction, any shortage of materials or labor at any point along the chain may cause delays, drive up costs, and result in projects being scaled back or scrapped.” The article concludes with four actions to address the potential labor shortage: 1) Increase the supply of construction labor, 2) Improve productivity across the entire value chain, 3) Revisit how owners work with contractors and suppliers, and 4) Coordinate BIL projects more effectively.

What People Get Wrong About the Inflation Reduction Act

October 19, 2022, SEIA

The Solar Energy Industries Association addressed four common misconceptions about the Inflation Reduction Act, outlining the impact the investment will have on the clean energy economy. The article states that the IRA will “transform America’s energy system into one powered by clean and affordable renewable resources — a historic change from the status quo.”