Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) announced a $100 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to increase production capacity at Forge Battery’s lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Morrisville. Forge Battery will use this federal funding for a new facility that will produce lithium-ion battery cells to help electrify key industries – including heavy trucking, off-road vehicles, aerospace applications, and high-performance national defense needs.
This grant is offered through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing grant program and is expected to help create 280 permanent clean energy jobs and 550 temporary construction jobs in North Carolina. In June, Congresswoman Ross and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) led Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09) in urging DOE to prioritize funding for Forge Battery.
“I’m extremely excited to see an historic $100 million investment coming to Morrisville through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Congresswoman Ross. “By enabling Forge Battery to scale production capacity of lithium-ion batteries, this funding will drive economic growth, create good-paying jobs, support our clean energy transition, and strengthen America’s technology supply chain. I worked hard to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law during my first term in Congress, and I’m proud to see that this legislation is already making a positive difference in our local economy.”
“Domestic production of best-in-class lithium-ion battery cells is critical for the United States to compete on a global scale in the energy transition,” said Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano, the parent company of Forge Battery. “The Department of Energy’s confidence in Forge Battery’s mission to be a leading domestic supplier of high-performance cells to U.S. markets will further position us to supply critical U.S. clean energy innovations. We’re incredibly grateful to the Department of Energy, the State of North Carolina and Congresswoman Ross for supporting us in our next chapter of growth.”