LORDSTOWN, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the closing of a $2.5 billion loan to Ultium Cells LLC “to help finance the construction of new lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan.”
Officials say this loan is "expected to create more than 11,000 good-paying jobs across the three facilities, including more than 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 operations jobs at the Lordstown, OH facility.”
The announcement, which was made early Monday morning, comes through the DOE’s Loan Programs Office.
“Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, will manage battery cell production at the three facilities to address the growing U.S. consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs),” according to a press release.
Officials say this loan will directly support President Biden’s goals to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and having EVs make up half of all new vehicle sales by 2030.
Lordstown is also home to Lordstown Motors, which is building electric pickup trucks.
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated article on Nov. 30, 2022.
Here's reaction from the announcement:
Sen. Sherrod Brown
“Investing in American production and Ohio workers is part of the work we are doing to put in place a new pro-American, pro-worker industrial policy. This loan will support Ohio in taking another step to lead the country and the world in producing sustainable technology and electric vehicles that Americans will need and drive over the next century.”
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan
“Public-private partnerships are a way of linking private sector technologies and innovations with government resources, which ultimately leads to economic growth. I've been a huge proponent of these programs for my entire tenure in Congress. My steadfast advocacy for the Mahoning Valley to become the nation’s hub of electric vehicle production has yielded a major investment in our workforce by the Department of Energy and represents another big step toward realizing a significant milestone.”
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm
“DOE is flooring the accelerator to build the electric vehicle supply chain here at home—and that starts with battery manufacturing led by American workers and the unions that support them. This loan will jumpstart the domestic battery cell production needed to reduce our reliance on other countries to meet increased demand and support President Biden’s goals of widespread EV adoption and cutting carbon pollution produced by gas-powered vehicles."