More than a quarter of a million electric vehicles (EVs) have been sold in the U.S. in 2022 alone. Consumer preferences and policies continue to drive historic demand for clean cars. With demand for EVs comes demand for the batteries that power them. Supply chains for EV batteries are relatively new and rapidly evolving. There is not only a need to reduce risk, but also an opportunity to build supply chains that are circular through recycling, reuse, and reducing waste and toxics. Doing so will limit harms that are pervasive in current fossil fuel vehicle supply chains.

While there is still a lot that needs to be done in 2023 and beyond, there were many actions in 2022 that demonstrated the federal government’s desire to build EV battery supply chains needed to support local, state, and national clean transportation goals. Let’s go through those actions.

2022 Federal Actions to Support EV Battery Supply Chains

Mining Reform

Hardrock mining on public lands is still governed by the 150-year-old Mining Law of 1872, which lacks any sort of protections for public lands, the environment, or local communities and Tribes. In 2022, a group of federal agencies began reviewing outdated laws, seeking feedback from a variety of stakeholders, and recommending a modernized set of mining regulations that will provide improved permitting, robust community and Tribal engagement, and protections for ecosystems, watersheds, and lands.

What’s clear is that we need a permitting…