The Biden-Harris Administration continued to take the message of Bidenomics directly to the American people this week—marking the one-year anniversary of the CHIPS and Science Act by highlighting the progress we've made creating good-paying jobs, revitalizing American leadership in semiconductors, strengthening our supply chains, and advancing American competitiveness. This week also brought news that annual inflation has fallen by around two thirds since last summer while our economy remains strong.
Bidenomics Front Pages
Bidenomics In the States
On Monday, Secretary Granholm travelled to Lancaster, Ohio to attend the groundbreaking of Cirba Solutions' lithium-ion processing facility. Cirba has been awarded $75 million of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand critical mineral upgrading assets. At full operation, Cirba's estimated 150,000-square-foot facility will produce enough battery-grade critical minerals used in cathode production to power more than 200,000 new electric vehicles (EVs) annually and will create an additional estimated 150 jobs.
On Tuesday, Vice President Harris and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su were in Philadelphia to announce a new rule to raise wage standards for construction workers. Secretary Granholm travelled to St. Louis to attend the groundbreaking of ICL's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode active material (CAM) manufacturing plant. ICL has been awarded nearly $200 million of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and this is expected to generate 150 local jobs and will build out our domestic supply chain for lithium batteries as demand continues to grow for EVs.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden was in New Mexico to celebrate the year anniversary of the CHIPS and Science Act as well as visit the Arcosa Wind Towers Facility, which announced its expansion into New Mexico earlier this year as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Department of Transportation joined in the groundbreaking for the Dallas Fort Worth Airport Utility Plan, a $35 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded project to construct a zero-carbon electrical central utility plan, which will assist DFW in achieving its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
On Friday, Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu joined officials across Pennsylvania for the Montgomery Locks and Dam project groundbreaking. The Army Corps invested $934.7 million in funds across the Upper Ohio Navigation System, including $857 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund the construction work at Montgomery Locks. The Department of Transportation's FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Shannetta Griffin attended the Asheville Regional Airport groundbreaking for the tower replacement project, a $15 million project to replace an existing 61-year-old Air Traffic Control Tower with a new, expanded facility. And the Department of Energy announced $1.2 billion in selections for the development of two Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs (DAC Hubs) -in Louisiana and Texas - to accelerate commercialization of, and to demonstrate the removal and utilization of carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere.
Bidenomics In the News
WBNS 10: US Secretary of Energy visits central Ohio for battery recycling facility expansion
[Tara Jabour, 8/7/23]
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm visited Lancaster Monday to break ground on Cirba Solutions' new $250 million battery recycling facility. "We have the opportunity to get all of these batteries, whether it is from your phone, or your laptop or your vehicle and take all that material inside, which normally we would be getting from China or other places, and re-use it," said Granholm.
Scripps News: President Biden to highlight climate and clean energy investments
President Joe Biden is touring the Southwest as the White House attempts to explain and highlight the impact of his economic agenda.
[Haley Bull, 8/8/23]
President Joe Biden kicks off a Southwest tour Tuesday as he highlights climate and clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act ahead of its one-year anniversary. In Arizona, officials say Biden will announce a $44 million investment from the legislation in the National Park System and the designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, protecting about a million acres of lands around the park. "President Biden is helping address injustices of the past. He is ensuring that the Grand Canyon and iconic American treasure will stay pristine for future generations," said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory.
The Messenger (Opinion): How Bidenomics Is Delivering for Women
[Rose Khattar and Sara Estep, 8/8/23]
Earlier this month, we learned that women aged 25 to 54 are employed at their highest rates on record — marking the fourth month in a row that women's employment has broken or matched records. The gains in women's employment are incredible, particularly considering where women's employment was just a few years ago. At the height of the pandemic, the employment rate of women aged 25 to 54 fell to 63.4% — a low not seen since 1984. This rapid recovery was not inevitable and is partly thanks to Bidenomics. President Biden's plan to grow the economy by growing the middle class is helping more women find jobs. By pursuing a strategy to stimulate the economy through investments in workers and those most in need, the Biden administration has laid the groundwork for the emergence of a tight labor market that benefits workers. A labor market where employers are competing for employees has reaped rewards for women.
St. Louis Business Journal: US energy secretary lauds $400M St. Louis battery factory in efforts against climate change
[James Drew, 8/8/23]
The international conglomerate, which has its North American base in St. Louis, won a $197 million competitive grant through the Department of Energy as part of the American Battery Materials Initiative. U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday hailed the company's investment in a $400 million battery plant in St. Louis as critical to addressing climate change.
Washington Post: White House to unveil wage rule for federal projects, in win for unions
[Jeff Stein, 8/8/23]
Vice President Harris announced a new rule on Tuesday to bolster union requirements for projects paid for by federal funds, as the Biden administration tries to quell fears among organized labor about the push for clean energy. The rule — unveiled by Harris during a trip to Philadelphia — represents one of the most aggressive administration actions to date to give workers a greater share of new federal investments in semiconductors, infrastructure and clean energy. […] "Many workers are paid much less than they deserve, much less than the value of their work. And not just by a little," Harris said Tuesday. "I'm here today to announce that we are updating this law and giving workers across the nation a raise. […] The new rule is viewed as a win for organized labor. North America's Building Trades Unions has commended the administration's efforts, as has the United Association, which represents plumbers and welders, among others. Mark McManus, general president of the United Association, called Biden's decision a "historic step."
Philadelphia Inquirer: Kamala Harris to tour I-95 construction site, meet with union leaders on third Philly visit this summer
[Beatrice Forman, 8/8/23]
Vice President Kamala Harris will arrive in Philadelphia today for the third time this summer — and she might want to bring a hard hat. Harris — alongside Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su — is set to announce plans to gradually raise wage standards for more than a million construction workers across the United States. Harris will unveil the policy at the Finishing Trades Institute in Bustleton just before 12:30 p.m, when she will meet with "rank-and-file union construction workers," as well as local and national union leaders, according to White House official. After her speech, Harris is scheduled to visit the I-95 construction site just after 2 p.m. to receive a briefing on the status of the Betsy White off-ramp.
Albuquerque Journal: President Biden to talk "Bidenomics" at Belen factory
[Ryan Boetel, 8/9/23]
President Joe Biden is in New Mexico today where he is scheduled to showcase his administration's economic policies at a warehouse in Belen that is being retrofitted to manufacture wind towers. A stage has been set up in front of a screen projecting "Bidenomics" at the Arcosa manufacturing facility off of New Mexico Highway 304. Arcosa announced in March it had lined up $750 million in wind tower orders and they opened the facility in Belen to meet demand. Manufacturing at the warehouse is expected to start in 2024 and create about 250 jobs.
Nexstar: President Biden speaks Wednesday in New Mexico
[Issac Cruz and Audrey Claire Davis, 8/9/23]
On Wednesday, August 9, President Joe Biden spoke to a crowd at the Arcosa Wind Towers Facility, located at the former Keter facility in Belen. The wind turbine manufacturer announced its expansion into New Mexico earlier this year. President Joe Biden arrived in Albuquerque on Tuesday as a part of a tour of the Southwest. After leaving New Mexico, President Biden will fly to Salt Lake City as he concludes his three-day trip through the southwest.
Santa Fe New Mexican: Biden touts 'Bidenomics' policies in Belen speech
[Scott Wyland and Daniel J Chacon, 8/9/23]
Standing in a shuttered plastics factory being converted to a wind tower manufacturing plant, President Joe Biden delivered a forceful speech Wednesday saying the Inflation Reduction Act will create 250 jobs in this area and tens of thousands more in rural communities across the country as part of a larger effort to combat climate change. "They're now poised to be the leader in the wind industry, but a few years ago, they were laying off workers because we weren't investing in them, so we passed this significant climate legislation," Biden said. "[It] not only moves us away from fossil fuels to cleaner technologies like wind, but it means we're going to make things and new technologies here in America."
Reuters: Biden highlights clean energy 'boom' at New Mexico wind tower plant
[Nandita Bose and Jeff Mason, 8/9/23]
President Joe Biden will take his economic pitch to New Mexico on Wednesday with remarks at the groundbreaking of an Arcosa wind tower manufacturing facility at which the White House said he will highlight a U.S. clean energy and manufacturing boom. Biden, a Democrat who is running for re-election, will tout his "Bidenomics" economic policies at the revamped, previously-shuttered facility, which a White House official said would be creating 250 new jobs in the state. "The groundbreaking will mark the transformation of this shuttered facility into a clean energy manufacturing factory, showing the opportunity and promise that Bidenomics is bringing to communities across the country while helping to meet our climate goals," the White House official said.
Fort Worth Report: New utility plant propels DFW Airport's goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions
[Dan Le, 8/9/23]
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is getting closer to its 2030 goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions. U.S. Reps. Beth Van Duyne and Colin Allred and top airport officials broke ground Aug. 9 on a new utility plant that will use electricity from 100% renewable sources to provide heating and cooling for the airport[…]More than $116 million for the project comes from federal sources, including $107 million from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Reuters: US reports big interest in $52 billion semiconductor chips funding
[David Shepardson, 8/9/23]
The Commerce Department began accepting applications in June for the $39-billion subsidy program for U.S. semiconductor manufacturing as well as equipment and materials for making chips but has not yet issued awards. "We're finally making the investments that are long overdue to secure our economic and national security," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters. "We need to move quickly but it's more important we get it right." A senior Commerce Department official told reporters the department is moving quickly: "We are in active dialogue with applicants and we expect to be announcing major progress in the months ahead."
Washington Informer: Biden's CHIPS and Science Act Marks One Year of Progress in Boosting American Semiconductors and Innovation
[Stacy M. Brown, 8/9/23]
Administration officials said a pivotal facet of the "Bidenomics" agenda, the CHIPS and Science Act, has elicited tangible responses. […] "Over the coming months, my Administration will continue to implement this historic law, make sure American union workers, small businesses, and families benefit from investments spurred by the CHIPS and Science Act, and make America once again a leader in semiconductor manufacturing and less dependent on other countries for our electronics or clean energy supply chains."
Bloomberg: Commerce Department Is Reaping Hundreds of Chips Act Inquiries
[Mackenzie Hawkins, 8/9/23]
The US Commerce Department has received more than 460 statements of interest for projects in 42 states seeking federal funds or financing help from last year's Chips and Science Act, with more than a third focused on chip fabrication, according to a department official. Proposals to the department's semiconductor investment office will compete for some of the $39 billion in direct funding and $75 billion in loans and guarantees under the law, aimed at reducing US reliance on Asia's semiconductor supply chains and boosting domestic manufacturing of chip technology. The measure, signed by President Joe Biden a year ago, will also play a role in his reelection pitch as he aims to convince voters that his economic vision is resulting in real gains for the middle class. "In the year since I signed this legislation into law, companies have announced over $166 billion to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States," Biden said in a statement.
Fox 4 Kansas City: ICL breaks ground on $400M battery materials plant in St. Louis
[Joey Schneider, 8/10/23]
Officials broke ground on a new $400 million battery materials manufacturing plant in St. Louis earlier this week. ICL, a global specialty minerals company, will have the first large-scale battery materials manufacturing facility in the United States. The new plant is expected to be operational by 2025. It will produce 30,000 metric tons of material for the global lithium-battery industry using a domestic supply chain.
CNN: Biden administration to invest $1.2 billion in projects to suck carbon out of the air
[Ella Nilsen, 8/11/23]
The Biden administration will announce on Friday its first major investment to kickstart the US carbon removal industry – something energy experts say is key to getting the country's planet-warming emissions under control. Direct air capture removal projects are akin to huge vacuum cleaners sucking carbon dioxide out of the air, using chemicals to remove the greenhouse gas. Once removed, CO2 gets stored underground, or is used in industrial materials like cement. On Friday, the US Department of Energy will announce it is spending $1.2 billion to fund two new demonstration projects in Texas and Louisiana – the South Texas Direct Air Capture hub and Project Cypress in Louisiana. "These two projects are going to build these regional direct air capture hubs," US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters. "That means they're going to link everything from capture to processing to deep underground storage, all in one seamless process."
WLOS – ABC 13 News: Asheville Regional Airport gears up for biggest expansion project in its history
[Kimberly King, 8/11/23]
The Asheville Regional Airport is getting ready for the biggest expansion project in the site's history. US Representative Chuck Edwards of Henderson County, along with airport board members, will be attending a ceremonial groundbreaking for AVL Forward, the largest construction project in the airport's history, on Friday, Aug. 11. Travelers were moved to a new temporary terminal in May to prepare for the demolition of the old terminal, which begins Friday. "We are living in the terminal while we while we tear it down, and build new. So, we already have opened a temporary gate area," said Asheville Regional Airport spokeswoman Tina Kinsey. "We have removed all of our passenger boarding bridges. We're boarding outside, we're doing that for the next couple of years." The entire grant amount for this project is worth approximately $21.5 million. Construction began last year on a central energy plant to serve the terminal.
WPXI TV Pittsburgh: Crews break ground on Montgomery Locks and Dam project
[Nate Doughty, 8/11/23]
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District broke ground Friday on the biggest infrastructure project in Pennsylvania. It's the construction of a new, larger lock chamber at the Montgomery Locks and Dam. Local, state and federal leaders attended the groundbreaking ceremony, for a near billion-dollar project expected to create more than 28,000 construction jobs and 5,300 jobs annually after completion in Beaver County. U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) joined Senior Advisor to President Biden and White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu and members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Pittsburgh District.
Beaver County Times: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers launch anticipated Montgomery Locks and Dam project
[Chrissy Suttles, 8/11/23]
The Upper Ohio Navigation Plan is expected to generate more than 28,000 jobs during construction and 5,300 jobs annually after completion. "For years and years, people talked about rebuilding the country… (President Joe Bide) came into office and understood that in order for the economy to be strong, and for us to have more money in our pocketbooks to take care of our kids, pay our mortgages and build generational wealth, that it was important to rebuild the cornerstone of our economy, which is infrastructure," said Mitch Landrieu, Which House infrastructure coordinator.
Louisiana Illuminator: Biden administration directs $1.2B to carbon capture projects in Louisiana, Texas
[Greg Larose, 8/11/23]
The Biden administration has awarded $1.2 billion to companies that plan to build facilities in Louisiana and Texas to remove existing carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere. The projects will use a technology called direct air capture (DAC), and they would be the largest of their kind in the world. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards joined U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Mitch Landrieu, senior infrastructure adviser for the White House, on a teleconference Thursday afternoon to detail the plans. Project Cypress, the DAC hub planned for Louisiana, will be built in Calcasieu Parish. Officials did not provide a specific location or firm timeline. The project is expected to create 2,300 jobs, with 10% of the workforce consisting of former fossil fuel industry workers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Houston Chronicle: Texas, Louisiana selected as first direct air capture hubs
[James Osbourne, 8/11/23]
A carbon removal project south of Corpus Christi is one of two sites selected by the Department of Energy to receive up to $1.2 billion to support the development of direct air capture technology. The project, which is being developed by Houston-based oil company Occidental Petroleum, is set on more than 100,000 acres on the famed King Ranch in South Texas and is designed to eventually remove up to 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. "Essentially these are giant vacuums that can suck decades of old carbon pollution right out of the sky," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said. "If we deploy that at scale, this technology can help us make serious headway toward our net-zero emissions goals, while we are focused on deploying, deploying, deploying more clean energy at the same time.
Bidenomics on the Airwaves
MSNBC: Morning Joe
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Good to have you back on the show. One year in, how's it going? What has been done, especially in, maybe, terms of job creation?
ADRIENNE ELORD: Mika, it's great to be back especially on the one-year birthday with the CHIPS and Science Act being signed into law. We have 140 people on staff, and we have received over 400 statements of interest from 42 states, and that's significant. At one point there was a perception that it would only be going to certain states, and we are seeing widespread interest across the country and the CHIPS and Science Act will benefit every single American, either directly or indirectly. Of course, since Biden took office, Bidenomics is taking place here, over 5oo billion dollars in private sector investment has been pledged and 230 is in the semiconductor industry. 166 billion by the way since the CHIPS and Science act was passed. So, we feel very good about the success of the program. We are moving at a record pace. To the point on jobs, this is so critically important. We know the CHIPS and Science Act will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and at least 60% of the jobs are estimated to be jobs that don't require a college degree, and that's critically important to get people back to work, and these are jobs that have upward mobility in the conductor fabs, and we feel good about the pace of the program and it's exciting to see how far we have come in the course of one year.
POLITICO: POLITICO Tech Podcast
STEVEN OVERLY: The fact that you are growing so quickly reflects the urgency of the chips issue and building out this industry in the US. It also reflects the interest that you have seen from industry. My understanding is that you all have received over 460 statements of interest from companies interested in accessing this money. Is that more or less than you were expecting. How do you gage that interested you have seen?
MIKE SCHMIDT: 460 statements of interest is a huge number for us. It really reflects an overwhelming interest in investing in the United States and you are already seeing major investments underway. The impact of the CHIPs Act really being felt already. And its across the semiconductor ecosystem. From the largest leading-edge manufacturers in the world to the smaller supply chain companies that want to come here and invest in America and be part of that ecosystem. And you are right. The urgency we have had in building this fantastic team we have here is really geared to meet the moment in terms of the national security mission. On shoring the production and innovation here in the United States as well as meeting the kind of commercial reality which means there is an interest in investing here and we need a team that is capable of evaluating applications and striking really good deals for American taxpayers […]
Bidenomics Resources
Statement: Statement from President Joe Biden on July Consumer Price Inflation Report
Statement: Statement from President Joe Biden on the One Year Anniversary of the CHIPS and Science Act
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., ICYMI: This Week in Bidenomics Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/363738