Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests Approximately $63.7 Million to Accelerate Battery Technology Innovation in New York Through American Rescue Plan Regional Challenge

WASHINGTON – Today, President Biden will announce the New Energy New York coalition as one of 21 winners of the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge, the most impactful regional economic development competition in decades. Funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Regional Challenge is awarding approximately $63.7 million in grants to the New Energy New York coalition, led by The State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, to accelerate battery technology innovation in New York.

With this funding, the New Energy New York coalition will accelerate innovation in battery technology and transform New York’s Southern Tier into a global hub of energy storage manufacturing. The projects funded as part of this award include building a lithium-based battery development manufacturing facility, the Battery-NY Center, which will provide testing, certification, and scale-up capacity for new products and companies. Complementary project leads will work with existing manufacturers to establish them as eligible suppliers for energy products and expand workforce training programs to address needs of the growing cluster.

“The Build Back Better Regional Challenge will help fund an exciting pivot towards a clean energy future, while revitalizing and restoring a community back its thriving manufacturing roots,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The New Energy New York coalition will leverage recent private investment in the state and SUNY Binghamton’s research strengths – boosting U.S. global competitiveness and creating new jobs.”

“I am proud to deliver this once-in-a-generation investment for Binghamton, the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes, and all of Upstate New York. New Energy New York will make the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes America’s home for battery innovation and production, bring manufacturing back from overseas, and train thousands of workers for good-paying jobs in an industry that will define this century. Broome County was once the global home to innovation, as the birthplace of IBM, flight simulation and virtual reality, and this project will breathe new life into that legacy, showing the world what I have long known: that Binghamton and Upstate New York workers can lead the effort to bring manufacturing back to America, and take us into the future,” said New York Senator Chuck Schumer. “We just made the largest ever federal investment in clean energy and batteries in the Inflation Reduction Act, electric vehicles are booming, and now Binghamton can seize this opportunity to grow the beating heart of this emerging battery industry right here in Upstate New York. I am proud to have worked hand-in-hand with Professor Whittingham, President Stenger, and the other coalition partners to deliver the federal funding to make this revolutionary project a reality.”

“EDA is proud to support the vision of the New Energy New York coalition,” said Alejandra Y. Castillo, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This EDA investment will accelerate the country’s clean energy transition while ensuring that economic benefits are equitable, accessible and shared throughout the region.”

“This funding represents a significant investment in an innovative collaboration between the world-class researchers at SUNY Binghamton and partners in the Southern Tier’s technology ecosystem,” said New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “As I wrote to Secretary Raimondo in March, this funding will strengthen domestic supply chains and reduce the outsourcing of battery production to international companies.”

“Congratulations to The State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton on this exciting grant award. This is further proof that our region is a nationally recognized leader in economic development, advanced manufacturing, and innovation,” said Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25). “I am proud to have helped secured funding for this program through the American Rescue Plan, and I am grateful to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Economic Development Administration for this transformational investment in the future of our regional economy.”

The New Energy New York coalition is one of 21 winners – each a regional coalition of partnering entities – that will receive awards between $25 million and $65 million to implement an average of six integrative projects that will enable each region's economic transformation and competitiveness.

The Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) is an unprecedented competitive federal grant program that provides each regional coalition with significant investments to tackle a wide variety of projects – including entrepreneurial support, workforce development, infrastructure, and innovation – to drive inclusive economic growth. Each coalition’s collection of projects aims to develop and strengthen regional industry clusters – all while embracing economic equity, creating good-paying jobs, and enhancing U.S. competitiveness globally. Projects span 24 states and include $87 million to two primarily Tribal coalitions and over $150 million for projects serving communities impacted by the declining use of coal.

The 21 BBBRC awardees were chosen from 60 EDA-designated finalists that each received approximately $500,000 in funding and technical assistance to continue developing their cluster strategies. The funding for each coalition is approximate, with awards to be signed later in September. Those 60 finalists were chosen from a Phase 1 applicant pool of 529 applications, which exemplifies the tremendous demand for transformational economic development approaches. EDA will continue to support all 60 finalists with the creation of a Community of Practice that will provide technical support, foster connectedness with peer regions and build capacity.

The Build Back Better Regional Challenge is one of EDA’s many programs aimed at building strong regional economies and supporting community-led economic development. EDA was allocated $3 billion in supplemental funding under the American Rescue Plan to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks. As a part of this funding, EDA allocated $300 million through a Coal Communities Commitment to support coal communities in pandemic recovery and help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities. Grantees for EDA’s full suite of American Rescue Plan programs will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022. For more information, visit https://www.eda.gov/ARPA/.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.