CHARLESTON W.Va. (WVDN) – Today, Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and a number of West Virginia officials announced that Form Energy has been selected for an award negotiation of up to $150 million from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling programs to support Form Factory 1 in Weirton. The funding is part of the more than $6 billion included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support a strong domestic battery supply chain.
“West Virginian workers and families have made the hard sacrifices to power our country to greatness and become a global energy leader. With today’s investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are continuing to ensure that we are producing the materials needed to protect our nation’s energy independence right here in the Mountain State,” said Chairman Manchin. “I was proud to secure this funding and I am thrilled that Form Energy will be able to utilize it to create good-paying jobs in Weirton and help preserve our legacy as America’s Energy Powerhouse for decades to come.”
“When I was crafting and negotiating the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), delivering support for manufacturing initiatives in West Virginia was an impact I knew we could make. Form Energy is providing a needed boost to the manufacturing industry in our state, specifically to the Weirton community. During my visit to the facility this summer, I saw how their embrace of new technological capabilities will help America continue to lead the way in energy innovation. This grant through the IIJA will expand Form Energy’s production and workforce, and will help continue West Virginia’s proud tradition of being an energy state,” Ranking Member Capito said.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Department of Energy, Senator Manchin, Senator Moore Capito, and the many state and local leaders from West Virginia who provided pivotal support on the path to this award selection. This selection will enable us to more rapidly scale up our manufacturing capabilities and hire hundreds of skilled workers at Form Factory 1. We’re proud to help contribute to the growth of a clean, domestic, and independent energy economy in America. And we’re honored to do it alongside a strong local workforce, right here from West Virginia.” said Mateo Jaramillo, Co-Founder and CEO of Form Energy.
“With its investment in Form Energy and Weirton, the U.S. Department of Energy is acknowledging that West Virginia is an ideal place to locate all-of-the-above energy development and manufacturing,” said West Virginia Secretary of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael. “Thanks to the encouragement and support of Senators Manchin and Capito, this backing will ensure even greater success in the Mountain State.”
“With our robust history and past successes in heavy industry, the Northern Panhandle has paved the way for Form Energy and other innovative companies to be successful here in West Virginia,” said Anthony Clements, Executive Director of the Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle. “This funding from the U.S. Department of Energy shows the unanimous support from our state and our United States Senators Manchin and Capito for our region. I am thrilled we have the opportunity to see Form Energy grow right here in West Virginia.”
“For years as a result of the decline and closure of its steel industry, the people of Weirton believed that its days as a manufacturing hub were over,” said West Virginia State Senator Ryan Weld. “Now, thanks to significant investments made by the State of West Virginia and the U.S. Department of Energy, along with the leadership of Senators Manchin and Capito, there is a renewed excitement for Weirton’s future and the products that will be made here.”
This announcement comes after Chairman Manchin, Senator Capito and a group of their bipartisan colleagues sent a letter to DOE urging them to include alternative battery types, like the iron-air batteries manufactured by Form, in their grant awards. Once awarded, Form plans to use the funding to more rapidly scale up its commercial-scale manufacturing lines to produce up to 20 GWh/yr iron-air batteries and employ at least 600 employees to operate them.
To learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, click here.
To learn more about DOE’s Battery Manufacturing and Recycling Grants, click here.
