The United States Energy Department just made an announcement that their new budget will grant $3.5 billion to companies to produce batteries. The push towards battery production comes as the government continues their push towards electric vehicles. The funding is also intended to go towards mining projects to mine the critical minerals needed to go into the battery manufacturing.

The government continues their funding to push us into a more battery-operated vehicle world because of the significance they have on climate change. Battery powered vehicles have less affect on our climate than gas powered vehicles. When cars burn gasoline, that goes into our ozone, creating a scary reality with regards to what the future will look like for us.

The funding will ideally allow many companies to properly obtain minerals such as lithium ion.

Lithium ion is one of the most important parts of an electric vehicle battery. The mineral is used both in the battery and also in clean electricity storage, so it is huge for climate change advocates. The Department of Energy of the U.S. is hoping to be able to build up stock of their supply, hence the designated funding. There are already many projects underway to get lithium ion, but with this expanded budget, experts predict that we will have a supply increase of up to ten times by the year 2030.

This increase will help the country meet the Biden-Harris goal of having half of the new car sales be for electric vehicles by 2023.

The Biden-Harris administration does not stop there either, as they hope to lower the pollution causing vehicle emissions to zero by 2050. Without this budgeted funding, this goal would be nothing more than a fever dream. As years go on, it will be interesting to see if this plan will ultimately work in their favor.

This funding does not come completely unopposed. Many worry that the unreliable supply of battery making materials does not bode well for their hopefulness. Others complain that we rely too much on Asia to obtain these resources. One particular expert, Jodie Lutkenhaus, worries we may be too far gone. She explains that she fears we may be too late, and our reactions are not severe enough. Furthermore, she went on to say that she worries we will ultimately be back to square one in a few years and simply be in a state beyond hope.