The Biden administration is taking another step toward advancing the use of the Defense Production Act to bolster clean energy.
In June, President Biden authorized the Energy Department to invoke the Defense Production Act to speed up the production of solar, electric grid, heat pump and other technologies.
Now, the Energy Department is taking an initial step to set that in motion.
That step entailed releasing a formal Request for Information, asking the public how the law can best be used, according to a press release that was first shared with The Hill.
The Defense Production Act gives the president the authority to mobilize a certain industry in order to advance national security. Under the law, the president can prioritize contracts for certain types of products and use financial incentives to expand manufacturing capacity.
“The Defense Production Act provides us with a vital tool to make targeted investments in key technology areas that are essential to ensuring power grid reliability and achieving our clean energy future,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
“DOE is eager to continue hearing ideas from industry, labor, environmental, energy justice, and state, local and Tribal stakeholders about how we can best use this powerful new authority to support the clean energy workforce and technologies needed to combat climate change,” she added.
The department is specifically seeking to gather information on technology supply chain challenges and opportunities, domestic manufacturing, workforce investment and issues related to equality.