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Washington Commits Another $2 Billion to Domestic Battery Supply

The Trump administration announced $2 billion in commitments to domestic battery and critical minerals producers on August 7, 2026, with the largest allocation being a $1.4 billion Defense Department loan to…

Energy Metal News 18 min read
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Washington Commits Another $2 Billion to Domestic Battery Supply

Editor's note: This article has been republished from its original version. Certain sections have been supplemented with a summary, key facts and answers to common questions, each drawn from and verified against the original release. Article also has sponsored disclosure at bottom. The original article can be viewed here.

Key Facts

  • The Trump administration announced more than $2 billion in commitments to battery and critical minerals companies on August 7, 2026.
  • The largest single allocation was a $1.4 billion Defense Department loan to Sila Nanotechnologies for silicon battery development.
  • Sunrise Energy Metals received a $400 million conditional loan commitment from the Department of War on August 10, 2026, with first production targeted for late 2028.
  • NOMAD Power Solutions increased its Voyager fleet energy capacity to 2.025 MWh in July 2026 and deployed two mobile battery systems with DSO Electric Cooperative on July 29.
  • NOMAD shares began trading on the Russell Microcap Index on June 26, 2026, and options trading commenced on Cboe Options Exchange on July 31.
  • The company rebranded from LIXTE Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. to NOMAD Power Solutions, Inc., with ticker change from LIXT to NMAD effective July 6, 2026.

Companies Mentioned

  • NOMAD Power Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: NMAD)
  • Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC)
  • Sunrise Energy Metals Limited (OTC: SREMF · ASX: SRL)
  • Amprius Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: AMPX)
  • American Battery Technology Company (NASDAQ: ABAT)

BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Energy Metal News Commentary -On August 7, 2026, President Trump announced at a roundtable with mining executives that the administration had committed more than $2 billion to companies producing batteries and critical minerals, saying the aim was for such products to be “mined, refined and made right here in the USA.” The largest single piece is a $1.4 billion Defense Department loan to silicon battery developer Sila Nanotechnologies, alongside a $400 million loan to Sunrise Energy Metals for scandium production, a $150 million loan to Niron Magnetics for rare-earth-free magnets, and an $85.5 million equity investment in Strategic Bauxite. The government is to take priority purchasing rights over output from some of the projects. Companies mentioned in today's commentary include NOMAD Power Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMAD), American Battery Technology Company (Nasdaq: ABAT), Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC), Amprius Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: AMPX), Sunrise Energy Metals Limited (OTC: SREMF).

It is worth being precise about what that money is, because the headlines have been looser than the substance. Three of the four commitments are loans and the fourth is an equity stake. None are grants. The agreements have not been finalized, and the projects involved could take years to reach production. The administration has said it has now completed roughly 160 minerals deals, which is the more telling number: this is not a single announcement but a sustained program.

The pattern behind it has been building for over a year. In October 2025 the Department of Energy restructured its multi-billion-dollar loan to Lithium Americas, and in exchange received a 5% equity stake in the company through warrants exercisable at $0.01 per share, plus a separate 5% economic stake in the Thacker Pass joint venture through equivalent warrants. The Pentagon's earlier intervention in MP Materials established the template of federal equity in a strategic supply chain. Washington is no longer subsidizing the battery industry at the margin. It is taking positions in it.

All that capital, however, is pointed at one end of the problem. Sila makes cells. Sunrise mines scandium. Niron makes magnets. Strategic Bauxite works upstream of aluminum. Every dollar is aimed upstream, at making the materials and the cells domestically rather than importing them from China. That is a real vulnerability, and it is being addressed.

It is not, however, the constraint that is stopping power from reaching the places that need it right now. A data center developer in 2026 does not fail because there are no domestic battery cells. It fails because the interconnection queue runs for years, the substation upgrade is not scheduled, and the utility cannot deliver firm capacity on the timeline the project requires. Manufacturing capacity and grid access are different bottlenecks, and only one of them is receiving $2 billion.

Which raises a narrower question than the one the funding announcements answer. If the cells get built domestically, who moves the stored power to the site that cannot wait for the grid?

Who Delivers Power When the Grid Cannot?

NOMAD Power Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMAD) sits at that end of the chain. The company develops utility-scale mobile energy storage: plug-and-play battery storage integrated into purpose-built, patent-pending mobile energy storage and docking systems, engineered to be truck-transportable and to deliver power to electrical grids and facilities on arrival. It reaches its markets through sales, rentals, and an Energy-as-a-Service model, targeting AI-driven use cases across utilities, industrial operations, government, and critical infrastructure.

The rental and service structure is the more interesting half. Grid-scale storage is normally a permanent capital asset tied to a site, a permit and an interconnection agreement. A mobile unit can be redeployed, which changes what it is useful for: bridging a substation upgrade, covering a seasonal peak, supporting a temporary load, or holding a position while permanent infrastructure is built. Nothing in the federal funding wave addresses that job.

July produced output rather than announcements.

On July 8 the company increased the energy capacity of its Voyager fleet by up to 56%, bringing its Eagle and Falcon units to 2.025 MWh, and unveiled the upgraded Voyager mobile storage series two days later. Capacity per unit is the central economic variable in mobile storage, since a unit must be worth the cost of moving it, and a step change of that size in one product cycle widens the range of jobs the fleet can take.

On July 15 the company strengthened its subsidiary executive leadership and appointed Huda Almashhadany as Chief of Product. On July 29 it announced the operational deployment of two mobile battery systems by DSO Electric Cooperative. That last item is the one that matters most at this stage: a rural electric cooperative putting units into operational service is a customer using the product in the field rather than a memorandum of understanding. The company has pointed to more than 30 active North American projects.

On the market-structure side, options trading on NOMAD began on the Cboe Options Exchange on July 31, following the company's addition to the Russell Microcap Index on June 26. Neither says anything about the product. Both determine whether institutional and sophisticated retail capital can engage with the name at all, and for a company one month into a new ticker, that is faster progress than most companies of this size manage in a year.

The corporate history behind the ticker.

NMAD, formerly LIXTE Biotechnology Holdings, Inc., historically focused on the development of innovative cancer therapies and medical technologies. Following the acquisition of NOMAD Transportable Power Systems, the Company rebranded as NOMAD Power Solutions, Inc. and expanded its operations and strategic focus into the energy infrastructure sector. Importantly, this strategic evolution does not represent a complete departure from the Company's biotechnology roots. The Company continues to maintain and advance its legacy oncology and medical technology assets while executing its primary strategic focus through NOMAD Power Solutions.

Trading under the LIXT ticker concluded on July 2, 2026, with the Company's shares beginning to trade under the NMAD ticker on July 6, 2026. As a result, historical financial data, share price performance, and legacy sector classifications associated with the ticker largely reflect the Company's historical biotechnology-focused operations and should be considered in that context. Certain screening tools still categorize the Company under its former primary sector.

Other companies to keep an eye on:

American Battery Technology Company (Nasdaq: ABAT)

ABAT is the clearest listed expression of the federal money now flowing into domestic battery materials. The company operates as an integrated critical mineral manufacturer across both primary lithium extraction and lithium-ion battery recycling, headquartered in Reno, Nevada.

ABAT is the clearest listed expression of the federal money now flowing into domestic battery materials.

In June 2026 it won its appeal with the Department of Energy for full reinstatement of a competitive grant supporting the $115 million first phase of a commercial-scale lithium refinery at its Tonopah Flats Lithium Project, with no change to funds awarded or to technical and commercial milestones and an updated project schedule adjusted for the review period. The project's pre-feasibility study, published in October 2025, established 2.73 million tonnes of proven and probable lithium reserves. Tonopah Flats has been designated a FAST-41 priority project by the National Energy Dominance Council and the federal permitting council. The company reported record quarterly revenue and its first positive gross margin in its third fiscal quarter of 2026.

The risks are equally clear. The company remains loss-making, analyst coverage is thin, the shares have traded through a wide range over the past year, and lithium pricing has moved sharply in both directions. Federal grant reinstatement resolves a funding question; it does not resolve permitting, construction or commodity risk.

Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC)

Lithium Americas is the case study for how far federal involvement now goes. Under the October 2025 restructuring of its Department of Energy loan, the DOE received warrants for a 5% equity stake in the company and a separate 5% economic stake in the Thacker Pass joint venture, both exercisable at $0.01. The company drew its first $435 million on the loan in October 2025 and received a second advance of $432 million in February 2026 and agreed to contribute an additional $120 million to loan reserve accounts. General Motors holds a 38% asset-level interest in Thacker Pass, acquired for $625 million in cash and letters of credit, with Lithium Americas holding 62% and managing the project.

The company reported approximately $1.2 billion in total cash and restricted cash as of March 31, 2026, including $529 million at the joint venture level. It is a development-stage producer with no revenue, and it has been funding itself partly through at-the-market equity programs, which is dilutive by design. Lithium sentiment has improved from its lows but remains exposed to the return of sidelined supply.

Amprius Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: AMPX)

Amprius is the closest listed analogue to Sila Nanotechnologies, the private company that received the largest piece of the August 7 funding. Amprius produces ultra-high energy density lithium-ion batteries built on silicon nanowire anode technology, targeting aviation, electric vehicle and light electric vehicle applications, which is the same silicon-anode thesis the Defense Department has just backed with $1.4 billion.

The stock drew reiterated Buy ratings from both Oppenheimer and Roth MKM on August 6, 2026, with one analyst explicitly framing a recent pullback as an entry point. Amprius is not profitable and remains at the scaling stage, which carries the ordinary manufacturing, supply chain and capital risks of a battery producer that has not yet reached volume.

Sunrise Energy Metals Limited (OTC: SREMF) (ASX: SRL)

Sunrise Energy Metals is one of the four companies named in the August 7 announcement, and the only one of them with publicly traded shares accessible to US investors. On August 10, 2026, the Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital confirmed a $400 million conditional loan commitment to build out the company's scandium operations at the Syerston project in New South Wales, which Sunrise describes as the world's largest and highest-grade scandium deposit. Scandium is used to strengthen aluminum alloys in aerospace, defense and advanced manufacturing.

Shares closed up 16.07% at A$18.49 on August 10 following the announcement, having traded as much as 29% higher intraday. The revised project scope now includes downstream refining capacity in the United States alongside the mine and processing facilities, with capital costs estimated at A$450 million to A$475 million and initial output targeted at 60 tonnes of high-purity scandium oxide a year. The company has also begun preparations for a US exchange listing.

The commitment is conditional, a final investment decision is targeted for the second half of 2026, and first production is not expected until late 2028. Sunrise is a development-stage company with no production revenue, its primary listing is on the ASX with US access via the over-the-counter market, and it operates in a different commodity and a different part of the supply chain from the profiled company.

What Has to Go Right

The federal money is real, it is sustained, and it establishes that Washington now treats domestic battery supply chains as strategic infrastructure rather than an industrial policy preference. That is a genuine tailwind for the sector NOMAD operates in. It is also worth stating plainly that NOMAD is not a recipient of any of it, is not an applicant, and that none of this capital is directed at mobile energy storage.

The counterweight on the company itself is straightforward. NOMAD is early in its scale-up, entering a market that already includes large, well-capitalized incumbents with established manufacturing footprints and substantial order books. The Company expanded into this industry very recently, and its ability to execute the strategy, integrate and grow the energy infrastructure operations, and build customer relationships is unproven by definition. An asset-heavy rental model means growth consumes capital, and additional funding will be required. The shares have been volatile.

What the past two months produced is not scale. It is the precondition for scale: a materially larger product, a utility customer running units in the field, a named product executive, index membership, and a listed options market. Whether deployments compound from there is the only question that matters, and no amount of federal capital flowing into cell manufacturing will answer it either way.

The best positioning happens before the crowd catches on. Eagle Eye is a real-time investor signal-intelligence platform that surfaces sentiment shifts, news flow, and trending tickers as they form, so you see attention building instead of chasing it. Watch it live at eagle-eye.dev.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the total amount of federal funding committed to battery and critical minerals companies on August 7, 2026?

The Trump administration committed more than $2 billion to companies producing batteries and critical minerals, with the largest single allocation being a $1.4 billion Defense Department loan to Sila Nanotechnologies.

What is Sunrise Energy Metals receiving from the government?

The Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital confirmed a $400 million conditional loan commitment to Sunrise Energy Metals on August 10, 2026, to build out scandium operations at the Syerston project in New South Wales, with first production not expected until late 2028.

Are these commitments grants or loans?

Three of the four commitments are loans and one is an equity stake; none are grants, and the agreements have not been finalized.

What is the stated purpose of the federal investment?

The administration aims for battery and critical minerals products to be "mined, refined and made right here in the USA," addressing the vulnerability of reliance on imports from China.

What did NOMAD Power Solutions accomplish in July 2026?

NOMAD increased the energy capacity of its Voyager fleet by up to 56%, bringing its Eagle and Falcon units to 2.025 MWh on July 8, and announced operational deployment of two mobile battery systems by DSO Electric Cooperative on July 29.

Is NOMAD Power Solutions receiving any of the announced federal funding?

No; NOMAD is not a recipient of any federal funding, is not an applicant, and none of the capital is directed at mobile energy storage.

Sources & Filings

Originally distributed via GlobeNewswire: Washington Commits Another $2 Billion to Domestic Battery Supply

Verify statements about the companies above against their own filings:

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Energy Metal News | info@energymetalnews.com

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Sources

[1] Wall Street Journal, “Trump Administration to Award $2 Billion to Battery, Materials Companies,” August 7, 2026; Benzinga, “Trump Admin Commits $2 Billion to Cut China Reliance on Minerals,” August 2026.

[2] NOMAD Power Solutions, Inc. news releases dated July 8, July 10, July 15, July 29 and July 31, 2026, and Company disclosure regarding the LIXTE Biotechnology Holdings rebranding and ticker transition effective July 6, 2026. Company website: https://www.nomadpower.com/

[3] U.S. Department of War, Office of Strategic Capital, “Office of Strategic Capital Signs $400 Million Conditional Loan Commitment With Sunrise Energy Metals Limited,” August 10, 2026.

[4] American Battery Technology Company, Lithium Americas Corp., Amprius Technologies, Inc. and Sunrise Energy Metals Limited public disclosure and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, accessed August 10, 2026.

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