Biden to Invoke Defense Production Act to Fast-Track EV Battery Production
The order could speed up a number of developments in battery component and raw material production.
President Biden will use his presidential powers to boost the speed of EV battery material production.
President Joe Biden is set to invoke the Defense Production Act to encourage the production of materials necessary for the construction of electric vehicles, the White House announced Thursday. But that's not all. Biden also authorized the release of a portion of the US strategic oil reserve to help alleviate prices at the gas pump.
The DPA was signed into law by President Harry Truman during the Korean War to allow the US government to set priorities for the production of goods and materials, ostensibly for national security. Invoking it gives the Biden administration more authority to push its EV adoption agenda without Congress getting in the way.
"Specifically, the DPA will be authorized to support the production and processing of minerals and materials used for large capacity batteries -- such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and manganese -- and the Department of Defense will implement this authority using strong environmental, labor, community, and tribal consultation standards," the White House said. "The President is also reviewing potential further uses of DPA -- in addition to minerals and materials -- to secure safer, cleaner, and more resilient energy for America."
The DPA is the next big step in the Biden administration's EV agenda, and it could make a significant difference in determining how fast the transition away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles happens. The government has already pledged to spend $5 billion on a new national EV charging network, and Biden has also said the bulk of the federal vehicle fleet will go electric sooner rather than later.
In addition to reducing the US' greenhouse gas emissions, all of these things will have the added benefit of reducing our energy dependence on foreign countries, which would be a benefit to national security.
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