Energy Department makes moves on infrastructure law

Federal agencies are acting on several fronts to transform energy provisions of the bipartisan infrastructure law into tangible funding programs.

Driving the news: The Energy Department took three steps just late last week.

• On Friday it published preliminary information about $3 billion in funding intended for advanced battery manufacturing and recycling projects.
• A separate notice seeks information on how to stand up a $6 billion incentive program to help ensure the continued operation of existing nuclear plants.
• That followed Thursday's move by the Energy and Transportation departments to open applications for states to use $5 billion for electric vehicle charging projects.

Why it matters: The infrastructure plan signed into law in November provided the Energy Department with roughly $62 billion for a constellation of programs, per DOE's tally.

• But transforming the law into tangible deployment of new demonstration and commercial-scale projects requires an immense amount of detailed bureaucratic work.
• It's prompting DOE moves to reorganize its structure and create new offices.