The Treasury Department is hoping to define how new electric vehicles can qualify for a lucrative tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act by the end of this year. But Ford’s agreement to license Chinese battery technology is putting the Biden administration in a difficult spot between looking tough on Beijing while also reaching the president’s ambitious EV adoption goals. POLITICO’s James Bikales breaks down the dilemma the Treasury Department faces as it works to define the IRA’s “foreign entities of concern” provision and the political stakes. Plus, new data from the Department of Energy shows attacks on the U.S. power grid rose in the first six months of the year.

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Catherine Morehouse is an energy reporter for POLITICO. 

James Bikales is the host of Morning Energy and a reporter for POLITICO. 

Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. 

Alex Keeney is a senior audio producer at POLITICO. 

Gloria Gonzalez is the deputy energy editor for POLITICO. 

Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO.

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