The loans: Per President Trump’s recent announcement, $1.4B of that cash is headed to Sila Nanotechnologies, a silicon-anode battery producer founded by a former Tesla engineer. The Defense Department has also inked deals with three other companies.
The context: To ease US dependence on foreign suppliers—especially China—the Trump administration has poured nearly $40B into US mineral companies, and new domestic mines are opening at the fastest pace since the 1950s.
The tension: Uncle Sam’s growing appetite for equity stakes (see: Intel, and now Strategic Bauxite) continues to spark criticism about the extent of public-sector intervention.
Mon, Aug 10
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
NEWS: The Pentagon just doled out over $2B to bring the battery and critical minerals supply chain home.
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