MBEF End of Summer Newsletter
School is starting, and summer is coming to a close! As one of the most energy-consuming times of the year ends, discover some energy stories impacting Missouri from the second half of Summer 2023.
ICL Manufacturing Breaks Ground on $400 Million EV Battery Facility in St. Louis
On August 8, ICL Specialty Products, a leading global specialty mineral company, broke ground on a facility to produce Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), a compound used in the production of batteries for electric vehicles. The plant is located in the St. Louis County neighborhood South City, and is estimated to cost $400 million to build, with $197 million of that coming from a federal grant. ICL stated in a news release that the facility will be operational by 2025 and produce 30,000 tons of LFP. St. Louis is also home to ICL’s North American headquarters.
Almost All of Missouri Still Facing Drought, Despite Improving Conditions
Missouri has had a rainy past few weeks, but a report from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources showed that 72% of the state is still experiencing drought conditions, with nearly 5% experiencing extreme drought conditions. The most affected areas currently include the areas in and surrounding Vernon and Cedar Counties in the southwest portion of the state.
Seven Major Automakers Joining Forces to Build EV Charging Network Rivaling Tesla
General Motors, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes and Stellantis are planning to share a multibillion dollar investment to build high-power charging stations with 30,000 plugs in urban areas across the United States and Canada, which could very well include Kansas City and St. Louis. The new charging network, with its first wave of plugs to be operational by next summer, will rival that of Tesla’s, which currently consists of just over 22,000 plugs. After completion, it will nearly double the number of fast-charging electric vehicle plugs in the US and Canada.
