For Friday, Feb. 3, 2023

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1 – The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is supporting a push by U.S. House members to boost federal investments to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

Co-chairs of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force from Michigan and Ohio are urging the Biden Administration to request full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

That would be $425 million for the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, up from last fiscal year’s $368 million.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative invests in projects to restore fish and wildlife habitat, clean up toxic pollution, reduce farm runoff and manage invasive species.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition says the Biden Administration has pegged March 9 as the release date for its proposed fiscal year 2024 budget, which runs from Oct. 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024.

The coalition represents more than 175 groups.

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2 – This fact of the week comes from the U.S. Department of Energy. 

The agency’s Vehicle Technologies Office says electric vehicle battery manufacturing capacity in North America is projected to be nearly 20 times greater by 2030.

Michigan will play a big role. There’s a wave of new electric vehicle battery plants in the works across North America. By 2030, they’ll be capable of supporting the manufacture of up to 13 million all-electric vehicles per year.

Most of the planned projects in the United States are concentrated along a north-south band from Michigan to Alabama, many co-located with auto plants.

Based on current plans, officials say Michigan along with Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia will see the highest growth in battery manufacturing capacity in coming years. 

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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