The U.S. Department of Energy issued a request for information for the Critical Materials Research, Development, Demonstration and Commercialization Program.
The program, which will focus on bolstering and expanding the supply chain for domestic critical materials by fixing potential vulnerabilities, is being funded by President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to an Aug. 9 DOE news release.
“We can follow through on President Biden’s clean energy commitments and make our nation more secure by increasing our ability to source, process and manufacture critical materials right here at home,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in the release. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is supporting DOE’s effort to invest in the building blocks of clean energy technologies, which will revitalize America’s manufacturing leadership and bring along the benefits of good paying jobs.”
According to the release, global demand for critical materials is expected to rise by 400-600% over the next several decades, with demand for materials such as lithium and graphite expected to rise by approximately 4,000%. The DOE is calling for increased domestic production of raw materials and the expansion of manufacturing capacity. The moves would reduce America's dependence on foreign countries for supplies of critical materials, strengthen the nation's clean energy supply chain, and create more clean-energy jobs.
"EVs. Wind turbines. Solar panels. We can create clean energy tech right here at home!" the U.S. Department of Energy said in an Aug. 9 post on Twitter. "Share your thoughts on our new $675M Infrastructure Law program that will help build out America's critical materials supply chain and manufacturing sector."
