Biden to Invoke Defense Production Act to Fast-Track EV Battery Production – By Kyle Hyatt (CNET) / April 1, 2022
The order could speed up a number of developments in battery component and raw 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.”
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