U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Tuesday the department is working “as fast as we can” to finalize $1.7 billion in grants to fund the conversion of plants to build electric vehicles and components. “We are working as fast as we can to finalize as much as we can – to get the commitments in contract with all of those who have been selected,” Granholm said in an interview on the sidelines of a Reuters Next conference. “We have a few months to make sure that we’re doing that.”

DOE announced plans in July to award General Motors to convert its Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan to EVs at an unspecified future date and to award Chrysler-parent Stellantis $334.8 million to convert its shuttered Belvidere Assembly plant to build EVs and $250 million to convert its Indiana Transmission Plant in Kokomo to produce EV components. The United Auto Workers has threatened strikes over Stellantis delays in the planned Belvidere investment, which has prompted Stellantis to file suits to prevent work stoppages.