Senators Grill Energy Deputy Over Chinese-Owned Company Qualifying for Grant

Texas-based Microvast selected to bid on contracts to build lithium batteries, but official assures panel no funds have been issued

The Thacker Pass Lithium Mine in Humboldt County, Nev., the largest-known lithium deposit in the United States, is among key projects the $1.2 trillion Bilateral Infrastructure Law is attempting to accelerate. Courtesy of Lithium Americas

Since the November 2021 adoption of the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $37 billion to companies bidding to participate in 72 research and development programs designed to foster domestic energy independence.

Among 60 new DOE programs launched under BIL, adopted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is a $7 billion initiative to boost the nation’s lithium battery materials processing and component manufacturing capacity.

Right now, China controls about 90 percent of the global market in raw lithium and batteries.