Federal award to spur Taylor plant repurposing EV batteries Funding also requires company to boost local jobs
A $20.3 million award from a federal agency to promote clean energy will help pave the way for a proposed Taylor manufacturing facility to repurpose electric-vehicle batteries, U.S. officials recently announced. The project will create 50 construction jobs and 200 new positions at Moment Energy Inc., according to a release from the Department of Energy. A timeline for the project’s start was not given.
“Moment Energy’s new facility will upscale second-life EV batteries to produce safe, reliable and affordable battery energy storage systems (BESS). Working with major automotive companies, including Mercedes-Benz Energy, Moment Energy will be able to support circular economy goals and ensure their batteries are safely used in secondlife applications before they are recycled,” the release stated.
“This project will help utilities, microgrids and commercial and industrial customers improve grid reliability, power EV charging stations and reduce demand charges, all with a sustainable and performant BESS solution made from repurposed EV batteries,” the government release added.
“We are honored to be selected for this transformative initiative,” said Edward Chiang, CEO of Moment Energy, in a prepared release. “Our mission to provide worldwide access to clean, affordable and reliable power aligns perfectly with the DOE’s goals, and this facility will be instrumental in our commitment to enable all retired EV batteries to be repurposed by 2030.”
A site for the potentially $40 million, 200,000-square-foot facility managed by the Canadian company has not been selected yet, according to reports.
According to the Department of Energy, the award is part of a total $428 million investment for 14 projects “to accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing in 15 coal communities across the United States. The projects, led by smalland medium-businesses in communities with decommissioned coal facilities, were selected by DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains to address critical energy supply-chain vulnerabilities.”
DOE officials said five of the projects will be in, or adjacent to, disadvantaged communities, and every project will include a community- benefits plan “developed to maximize economic, health and environmental benefits in the coal communities that power our nation for generations.”
“The transition to America’s clean energy future is being shaped by communities filled with the valuable talent and experience that comes from powering our country for decades,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in the prepared release.
The agencies selected in two rounds by the government “will address five key supply chains — grid components, batteries, lowcarbon materials, clean power generation and energy efficiency products.”
Moment Energy’s proposed facility will have an annual output of 1 gigawatt once it’s fully operational, officials said.
According to the release, “Moment has achieved UL 1974 certification for repurposing EV batteries and has developed one of the world’s most advanced second-life battery datasets and is developing (artificial-intelligence) management systems to advance its vision to enable all EV batteries to be repurposed.”
The online Carbon Collective Investment said, “One gigawatt-hour (GWh) is equal to 1 million kWh. So, a power plant with a capacity of 1 GW could power approximately 876,000 households for one year if they collectively consume 10,000 kWh each, assuming the plant operates continuously throughout the year.”
The government award requires a community- benefits plan to bolster the local labor force.
According to the release, under the plan, Moment Energy “will provide a dedicated workforce community development team member who will focus on community outreach and development. These efforts will also engage key partner organizations, like Opportunity Austin and WorkForce Solutions.”
In addition, officials said, the project will contribute to the Justice40 Initiative, spurring economic revitalization in energy communities like Taylor and surrounding areas.
The prepared release added, “Moment Energy is fully committed to advancing a binding Community Benefits Agreement that aligns with the needs and priorities of Taylor … and the surrounding disadvantaged communities. Moment Energy is committed to remaining neutral during any union organizing campaigns at the facility.”
