CHARLESTON, WV – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new initiative to build up the nation’s lithium battery supply chain during a meeting of the Biden administration’s Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities today in West Virginia. The event was attended by DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, and state and local leaders. The new initiative will dedicate $5 million to support training pilot programs in energy and automotive communities. The DOE will work closely with industry and labor stakeholders to prioritize the creation of union jobs across the domestic battery supply chain.

In response to the secretary’s visit, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Appalachian Regional Field Organizer Dan Taylor:

“The initiative announced today illustrates the dedication of the Interagency Working Group to bringing new economic opportunities to coal communities in West Virginia. We thank Secretaries Granholm and Haaland for continuing to recognize West Virginia’s potential as a leader in building the technologies of the future. We are particularly happy to see in this announcement a focus on including labor voices and prioritization of the creation of the kind of good, union jobs West Virginia needs.”