nick.nigro@atlaspolicy.com

Ultium was announced as an equally owned joint venture between GM and LGES, leveraging GM’s manufacturing expertise and LGES’s battery-cell technology. This facility now employs nearly 2,200 hourly and salaried workers, more than what was operating in Lordstown when the facility closed. Ultium has announced $2.6 billion in investment in the facility. In 2023, the facility had the nation’s second highest operational battery cell manufacturing capacity, after Panasonic in Nevada.

Ascend Elements has committed $1 billion in Hopkinsville, Kentucky to develop Apex 1, a commercial-scale battery recycling and manufacturing facility for precursor cathode active materials (pCAM). This facility is a first for the United States and is part of a broader effort to onshore the battery supply chain. At present, pCAM is largely produced in China. Nearly a third of the total facility investment is being provided by a Department of Energy grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Jenifer Yokley noted that Blink is a vertically integrated, global provider of EV chargers. The SemaConnect acquisition firmly established Blink in the Level 2 (L2) charger market and brought the manufacturer into compliance with the Build America, Buy America requirements. SemaConnect is one of the 13 acquisitions Blink has made in the past two years, marking a period of rapid growth for the company. This growth was capped off by Blink’s recent announcement that they are moving their headquarters to Bowie, just down the road from their current manufacturing facility.

The case study outlines a collaboration between Solar United Neighbors (SUN) and One Roof Community Housing to provide low-income homeowners with solar energy systems using the "Direct Pay" provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The program allows nonprofits to receive a federal tax credit refund, enabling them to install solar panels at no upfront cost to homeowners. Homeowners benefit from lower utility bills, and after five years, they will own the system with minimal maintenance responsibilities. The initiative aims to address financing challenges for low-income households while reducing carbon emissions and promoting energy equity.

Madison has received a $20 million grant from the EPA to improve energy efficiency in affordable housing, part of the federal Community Change Grant Program. This funding will enhance home insulation, HVAC systems, and appliances to reduce energy costs and improve air quality, especially in low-income households. The initiative involves local organizations such as Project Home and Sustain Dane, which will also create green energy jobs. The program aims to lower energy bills, improve comfort, and promote sustainability while addressing climate change.

Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) received two $20 million grants from the EPA to support climate initiatives in Appalachia and Alaska. The grants aim to address pollution and carbon emissions through projects like climate-resilient housing and infrastructure enhancements. However, uncertainty surrounds the future of the funding due to an executive order signed by former President Trump, freezing the dispersal of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. Legal challenges regarding the order are raising concerns about the continuation of these grants.

Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) received two $20 million grants from the EPA to support climate initiatives in Appalachia and Alaska. The grants aim to address pollution and carbon emissions through projects like climate-resilient housing and infrastructure enhancements. However, uncertainty surrounds the future of the funding due to an executive order signed by former President Trump, freezing the dispersal of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. Legal challenges regarding the order are raising concerns about the continuation of these grants.

Glades County School District (GCSD) has introduced 13 industry-leading electric school buses to its fleet for the 2024-2025 school year. The new electric school buses will replace more than half of the district's outdated diesel buses—some of which have been in operation for more than 25 years.

A 2-MW rooftop solar project is coming to ¡HOLA! Elementary in Palmetto, Florida, aimed at promoting sustainability and reducing energy costs. The initiative is led by Renaissance Arts and Education, Tampa Bay Solar, and Regenerative Shift, and is set for completion by summer 2025. This project will help the school reduce its carbon footprint while utilizing federal tax incentives for non-profits. It showcases how educational institutions can leverage renewable energy for both cost-saving and environmental benefits.

On Vashon Island in Washington State, across from Seattle, the Vashon United Methodist Church (UMC) recently received elective pay (a.k.a. direct pay) funds in lieu of federal clean energy tax credits for its installed solar and battery storage devices. This helped cover about a third of the costs of the installation, with the other two-thirds covered by a $130,000 Washington State Department of Commerce Solar plus Storage for Resilient Communities program grant that Vashon UMC won back in September 2023. The federal credit and state grant helped the church install 30 kilowatts (kW) of solar panels and six battery storage devices in two church-owned buildings.