The Biden administration awarded $2.8 billion this week to 20 companies after they pledged to honor Democratic goals like diversity, equity, and inclusion as they hire people to build batteries and related components to be used in electric vehicles.
The conditional grants are the latest attempt by the Biden administration to push its diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) agenda into the private sector. [bold, links added]
Last month, DEIA leaders from several agencies met and agreed to extend their efforts in this area “across the federal government and our society.”
It is also part of a broader trend of companies following the environment, social, and governance (ESG) principles as a way of earning a “responsible” brand among investors.
On Wednesday, President Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced the $2.8 billion “investment” in EV battery companies and said explicitly that their decision to provide federal funding for these projects was conditioned on a promise to advance the DEIA agenda.
“The companies submitted plans for engagement with local stakeholders, Tribal nations, environmental groups, and labor unions to ensure the funded projects create high-quality jobs; advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and contribute meaningfully to the Justice40 initiative to provide 40% of the overall benefits of federal clean energy investments to disadvantaged and underrepresented communities,” the Department of Energy said.
Of the 20 companies that won awards, five said they would boost production in “disadvantaged communities,” and 13 agreed to negotiate workforce and community agreements aimed at engagement with “host communities, labor unions and/or Tribal entities to agree on community benefits and implementation plans.”
Fifteen of the companies said they would collaborate with “minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to hire and train workers.”
Companies made a range of specific DEIA-related promises as a condition of receiving federal funding.
For example, 6k Inc. received $50 million and said, “[d]iversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles are incorporated into all aspects of the project.”
American Battery Technology Company received $57 million and promised to “foster local community improvements through an environment and equity-focused micro-grants program.”
Amprius won $50 million from the government and said it is “committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.”
Applied Materials, Inc. received $100 million and promised, “location-based action through equity-centered community engagement efforts.”
Cirba Solutions won $75 million and said the “advancement of equity, environmental justice, and energy justice are woven into the framework of the organization.”
Group14 Technologies, Inc. received $100 million and committed itself to “worker engagement, job quality, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and investments in clean energy to benefit disadvantaged communities throughout eastern Washington.”
ICL-IP America, Inc. gets $197 million and in turn, said it would “abide by the Justice40 directive.”
Koura received $100 million and promised to “expand company activities in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) across the greater Baton Rouge region.”
Read more at Fox News
So, what about technical skills/knowledge, innovative thinkers & business accumen? Where do things like that fit in? Looks like the next series of “Solendra’s”…
These companies think they are making money but the value of each dollar they get becomes nearly worthless as it becomes a smaller fraction of total currency printed each day. they literally sold their souls for pennies.
“…promised to “foster local community improvements through an environment and equity-focused micro-grants program.””
So an industrial company is given taxpayer dollars, and will pass those dollars along to someone else? Absolutely no chance of fraud, right. Right?
One fundamental philosophy of the liberals is if a white, especially a white male, is the victim of discrimination, then it really isn’t discrimination. This is not correct and very hypocritical. Any time there is favoritism based on race, the races not being favored are being discriminated against. If that is only whites, then whites are being discriminated against. If the Supreme Court ever takes up the issue, they will have no choice but to declare it illegal. In the 1960’s Congress passed laws forbidding discrimination based on race as well as other things. The US Constitution requires equal protection under the law. Put the two together, then affirmative action, which I guess is now being called “inclusion,” is illegal.
Affirmative action, like costly action on climate change, is something mainly supported by the liberal elites. The last poll I saw of US blacks has them opposed to affirmative action by a narrow margin, and this margin wider in other demographic groups. Unfortunately liberal elites have been effective in imposing their will on everyone else.
This is another liberal agenda that would not do well if there was a free exchange of ideas. No wonder censorship is so important to the liberals.
Biden should be made to walk to all his big time meetings and if its overseas he can borrow Gretas little Sailboat