Published: March 23, 2022 |

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Programs to re-train coal miners and reinvigorate West Virginia’s suffering workforce have been proposed before. Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said many have been a disappointment because there were no jobs.

“All that ended up being was basically an extension of unemployment benefits because no jobs came because there’s no factories,” Manchin said. The senator said that’s changing with the announcement of a new electric battery plant coming to the state this year.

The energy startup Sparkz is partnering with the United Mine Workers of America to recruit and train dislocated miners to be the factory’s first production workers.

“Now, we’re seeing the rubber hit the road. That makes a difference,” Manchin said.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Mulhern Granholm and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland joined Manchin and UMWA representatives at Marshall University’s Robert C. Byrd Institute to discuss workforce development opportunities.

Granholm announced a $5 million training initiative, the first in the nation to focus on battery workers. The funds will be split among five U.S. sites, and she hinted that West Virginia is likely to be a recipient.

“I think you’ll be well-positioned, I’ll just say that,” Granholm said.

The energy secretary said the steps are necessary to ensure that the U.S. is “energy independent” and not relying on countries like China for the supplies.

“We should be building the full supply chain here,” Granholm said.

UMWA International Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson said although workforce training has been offered to the state’s workers before, West Virginia hasn’t seen most of the benefits.

“In the past, we’ve spent a lot of money retraining workers to go out of state to do other jobs. That’s one of the biggest problems,” Sanson said.

Sparkz said its electric battery factory in West Virginia will employ at least 350 people.

Sparkz Founder and CEO Sanjiv Malhotra said these batteries will be 100 percent cobalt-free, reducing the cost of U.S. lithium-ion battery production. The Democratic Republic of Congo has historically been the top producer of cobalt worldwide, with most mines controlled by Chinese companies.

Malhotra said the operation will be a boon to U.S. efforts to counter China’s dominance, and a major step for West Virginia as the state transitions from its roots in coal production to the “new energy economy,” Malhotra said.

Sparkz, founded in 2019, is in the final stages of site selection, and will be announcing customer partnerships in the coming months. Its first markets will likely be in material-handling vehicles like forklifts, agricultural equipment, and energy storage.

Source: Associated Press

About Sparkz
Sparkz is the energy startup challenging China’s dominance of next generation energy storage. It is commercializing the only high energy-density cobalt-free, lithium-ion battery made in America. Sparkz was founded in late 2019 and has completed the transfer of 6 patents from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, while continuing its groundbreaking research and development focused on re-engineering the rest of the battery supply chain.

To stop by Sparkz’s website, CLICK HERE

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