U.S. Announces $428 Million in Clean Energy Grants

By Timothy Gardner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. on Tuesday announced $428 million in grants to build or expand battery manufacturing and recycling plants and other clean energy manufacturing in communities that have been hit hard by recent closures of coal mines and power plants.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris has pledged to support struggling communities as the country reduces the burning of coal to combat climate change. Many projects are located in Republican-leaning or battleground states.

KEY QUOTE

> "These are communities that powered America for literally decades, and this administration, the Biden-Harris administration, believes they're exactly the right folks in the right communities to lead the clean energy transition for decades to come," said Deputy U.S. Energy Secretary David Turk during a press call.

BY THE NUMBERS

The 14 projects span 12 states, including Kentucky, Utah, West Virginia, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The grants, funded by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, are expected to attract an additional $500 million from the private sector and create over 1,900 high-paying jobs.

PROJECT EXAMPLES

One project in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania will receive more than $87 million for Mainspring energy to produce 1,000 linear generators annually. This technology supports utilities, data centers, and micro-grids, generating power from natural gas, hydrogen, biogas, and livestock manure.

Another project, Sparkz Inc in Bridgeport, West Virginia, has secured $9.8 million to establish the first battery-grade iron phosphate plant in the U.S.