Eligibility

Background

PowerForward is open to a wide variety of projects, focused on increasing domestic production of batteries and battery materials, and furthering California's goals for zero-emission transportation.

Applicant Eligibility

Must be a private, for-profit business.
Project must be located in California.
Project must fall under an eligible category.

PowerForward is designed to attract and grow critical elements of the battery supply chain for zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) in California, create positive economic impacts that benefit local communities and priority populations, and contribute to California’s goal of zero-emission transportation. The program aims to lead the just transition to a green economy and set a standard for domestic battery manufacturing that focuses on environmental impact, community engagement, and quality job creation.

This solicitation includes 2 categories for application: Category 1 is for the production of cathodes and cathode active materials, and Category 2 is open to a variety of activities in the battery manufacturing lifecycle. The eligible projects for each category are listed in the interactive graphic below.

Eligible Projects

Category 1
Category 2

  • Cathode Production
  • Cathode Active Materials Processing

Cathode Active Materials Processing

The processing of precursor materials for cathodes for cells and batteries for zero-emission vehicles

Category 2
Material Processing

The processing of precursor materials for batteries from raw material (graphite, lithium, etc.) for the production of cells and batteries for zero-emission vehicles.

  • Material Processing
  • Cell Components Manufacturing
  • Cell Manufacturing
  • Module, Pack, and BMS Manufacturing
  • Remanufacturing
  • Recycling

Material Processing

The processing of precursor materials for batteries from raw material (graphite, lithium, etc.) for the production of cells and batteries for zero-emission vehicles.

Material Processing The processing of precursor materials for batteries from raw material (graphite, lithium, etc.) for the production of cells and batteries for zero-emission vehicles.
Cell Components Manufacturing The manufacturing of separators, electrolyte, or electrodes for the production of cells and batteries for zero-emission vehicles.
Cell Manufacturing Production of lithium-ion, sodium-ion, or solid-state cells for light, medium, or heavy duty zero-emission vehicles.
Module, Pack, and BMS Manufacturing Production of modules, packs, and BMS for light, medium, or heavy duty zero-emission vehicles.
Remanufacturing Restoring faulted or damaged batteries to like-new conditions for re-use in light, medium, or heavy duty zero-emission vehicles.
Recycling Processing of end-of-life cells and batteries to recover critical battery materials (lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, etc.) for re-use in the production of new batteries for zero-emission vehicles.

More details can be found in the Application Manual