Trump Administration Cuts a $500M Check to Supercharge America’s Battery Minerals
The U.S. Department of Energy pours $500 million into seven domestic projects to secure critical battery supply chains, boost processing capacity, and curb foreign market dependency.

Washington is placing a $500 million wager on the periodic table.
The U.S. Department of Energy is cutting grant checks to seven domestic companies building critical lithium, cobalt, and next-generation battery projects. The move marks the latest push by the Trump administration to transform the nation into an energy and minerals superpower while loosening China’s tight grip on the processing market. Ongoing geopolitical strain, including the conflict with Iran, has injected fresh urgency into fortifying the defense industrial base and replenishing depleted weapons stockpiles.
Selected from hundreds of applicants under the Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing programs, the awardees represent the highest-return opportunities across key areas of the supply chain, according to Energy Department assistant secretary Audrey Robertson. Taking center stage is Lilac Solutions, which landed $100 million to build a direct lithium extraction facility on Utah’s Great Salt Lake. Backed by German automaker BMW (ETR: BMW), Lilac Solutions aims to be online by 2028 with an annual output of 5,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate. The project joins earlier federal investments in domestic lithium developers like ioneer (NASDAQ: IONR), Standard Lithium (NYSE American: SLI), and Lithium Americas (NYSE: LAC).




