Barrasso, Ernst Say Energy Watchdog to Probe Battery Technology Transfer to Chinese

Federal officials at the Department of Energy (DoE) may soon have to explain the government’s “illicit transfer of a $15 million, taxpayer-funded advanced battery technology” developed by a U.S. laboratory to a Chinese firm.

Teri Donaldson, the department’s inspector general, confirmed to senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) in an October 5 letter that “the apparent transfer of vanadium redox battery technology to China” authorized by DoE officials is being investigated.

Vanadium redox batteries—originally developed in 2006 by the U.S. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory—are rechargeable, hold energy longer, and could soon replace lithium ion batteries, according to the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

“Taxpayers spent millions of dollars to develop cutting edge technology that the DoE then gave to Communist China. This was a major breach of national security by the federal government,” Ernst told The Epoch Times.

“I look forward to answers on how and why this unlawful transfer occurred. We have to ensure this never happens again.”

The senators had requested the investigation in a Sept. 14 letter to Donaldson that was prompted by an Aug. 3 NPR report entitled “The U.S. made a breakthrough battery discovery—then gave the technology to China.”

The Chinese received the technology via two separate transfers.

“The Department of Energy, in this case, twice handed over vanadium redox battery technology created by scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The first recipient of this technology, a Chinese company by the name of Dalian Rongke Power Co. Ltd., received a sublicense from DoE in 2017 to manufacture the batteries in China,” Barrasso and Ernst told Donaldson.

“The second recipient, Vanadis Power, a Dutch company, received a full license in 2021. However, Vanadis plainly stated on their official website that they planned to manufacture the batteries in China. These transfers occurred while several U.S. companies, according

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases