President Biden has authorized the Department of Energy to use the Defense Production Act to advance domestic manufacturing of solar panel parts and other clean energy technologies.
The Biden administration will also expand U.S. production of building insulation, heat pumps, transformers and other electric grid components, electrolyzers, fuel cells and related platinum group metals through the invocation of the DPA, the White House said Monday.
With the DPA, the executive branch also aims to encourage the use of project labor agreements, community benefit agreements and other labor standards and promote projects with environmental justice outcomes.
“With the new DPA authority, DOE can help strengthen domestic solar, heat pump and grid manufacturing industries while fortifying America’s economic security and creating good-paying jobs, and lowering utility costs along the way,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, said the president’s actions will help strengthen U.S. supply chains and “accelerate DoD’s transition toward clean energy technologies that can help strengthen military capability while creating good jobs for American workers.”
The president also directed the development of two federal procurement tools – master supply agreements and “super preferences” – to further promote domestic solar production capacity as well as the establishment of a 24-month bridge for certain solar imports while strengthening the integrity of trade processes and laws.