Washington, D.C.—As the Senate passes the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, SAFE President and CEO Robbie Diamond made the following statement:
“The bill contains a range of important provisions that will stimulate investment across the U.S. EV supply chain, from minerals to markets.”
“For years, the United States depended on an unstable oil market dominated by nations that by and large did not share our strategic interests or our values. Transportation worldwide is now moving from the gas combustion engine to electric. Much of the electric vehicle (EV) research and development (R&D) breakthroughs originated in the United States. However, China has focused on turning that R&D into actual mass-produced components and products. Today, China controls many of the supply chains necessary for EVs.”
“To avoid a dangerous dependence on China, the United States needs to develop more of those supply chains here. In the process, our nation can grow its economy and create well-paying skilled jobs for Americans across our fifty states. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal takes important measures to facilitate in the United States complex processing of minerals, the production manufacturing of batteries and charging infrastructure, and improvement of the grid.”
SAFE continues to urge House passage of the bill and additional Congressional actions for a comprehensive, minerals-to-markets approach to develop a robust U.S. EV supply chain free from Chinese influence. Below is a table of SAFE policy recommendations that have been included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.
| SAFE | Provision in Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (BID) |
| $10 billion DOE grant program for battery materials processing, manufacturing, and recycling. | Funded at $6 billion |
| Chartering of a rare earth element processing cooperative | $140 million for a demonstration facility for domestic rare earth extraction, separation, and refining |
| $10 billion for a new Clean School Bus Grant Program | Funded at $2.5 billion |
| Expand eligibility for the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) program to include medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, their supply chain, and critical minerals. | Included in BID |
| Reform the EV charging tax credit by lifting the per site cap. | $7.5 billion in funding for an EV charging grant program |
| Permanently authorize the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council to streamline the permitting process for large infrastructure projects. | Included in BID |
| Fully fund the Earth Mapping Resource Initiative at $10 million per year. | Funded at $320 million over 5 years |
| Examine abandoned mine lands for critical minerals. | Included in BID |
| Codify the Resilient Energy Infrastructure Framework | Included in BID |
| Support grid modernization efforts. | Included in BID |
| Federal research and development on second life battery applications. | Included in BID |
Contact: Alex Adams | 202.461.2374 | aadams@secureenergy.org
About SAFE
SAFE enhances the nation’s energy security and supports our economic resurgence and resiliency, by advancing transformative transportation and mobility technologies and ensuring that the United States secures key aspects of the technology supply chain to achieve and maintain our strategic advantage.
In partnership with the Electrification Coalition, SAFE’s sister organization, we work with consumers, businesses, and policymakers, to launch award-winning “real-world” programs and enable the needed polices to accelerate transportation electrification around the country to reduce our Nation’s dependence on oil.
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