Biden’s new funding aims to keep US electrification moving

On 11 July 2024, the Biden Administration declared it would provide US$1.7bn in new funding to help ailing US manufacturers become part of the hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) supply chain. The US Department of Energy cited 11 “shuttered or at-risk” facilities across eight states—Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and Virginia—in its official announcement. The scope of the grants is anticipated to save 15,000 skilled jobs and create almost 3,000 new ones.

“Building a clean energy economy can and should be a win-win for union autoworkers and automakers,” said Joe Biden in a White House statement. He added that such support delivers on his commitment to “never give up” on the nation’s manufacturing communities and workers. Indeed, this adds to the president’s other recent attempt to bulwark domestic production by imposing 100% tariffs on imported Chinese EVs.