The U.S. is funding a lithium-ion battery separator factory that will mainly be used for battery parts in EVs, strengthening the U.S. supply chain.
According to Electrek, the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office is loaning $1.2 billion to Entek to "build a lithium-ion battery separator factory in Terre Haute, Indiana."
The DOE believes the U.S. lithium-ion EV battery industry will need 7 to 10 billion square meters (about 75-108 billion square feet) of annual separator production by 2030.
Entek's factory is expected to help with this because once it's complete, it is anticipated to have 1.72 billion square meters (about 18.5 billion square feet) of separator material manufacturing capacity annually.
Electrek reported, "The project will support roughly 1.9 million mid-size EVs or 1.3 million eSUVs."
Additionally, Entek's new factory is expected to create many new jobs, including 635 operational and 763 construction positions.
"The project will also help U.S. EV manufacturers satisfy battery component sourcing requirements under the 30D Clean Vehicle Credit in President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act," Electrek said.
The Inflation Reduction Act has many provisions for funding clean energy projects.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, this project will also help fulfill the Biden administration's goal of making the transportation sector emissions-free by 2050.
Reaching this goal would profoundly affect children. According to a study, if all vehicles sold by 2035 were "zero-emission" instead of gas vehicles, along with a clean energy grid by then, that could lead to 2.67 million fewer upper respiratory symptoms, 1.87 million fewer lower respiratory symptoms, and 2.8 million fewer asthma attacks in children.
The provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act for batteries will lead to cheaper EVs for American consumers, according to Car and Driver.
Cheaper electric vehicles will make it easier for you to make your next car an EV. Switching to an EV will save you money in the long run and help reduce toxic gases by avoiding use of a gas-burning vehicle.
Policies like creating more battery factories in the U.S. are essential for fighting a warming planet. Voting for pro-climate candidates can continue the progress made.
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