A nearly $6 billion federal loan will help electric-vehicle manufacturer Rivian restart construction of a $5 billion vehicle and battery plant near Covington.

Rivian paused work on the plant earlier this year amid financial difficulties. The factory is supposed to produce midsize and crossover SUVs.

Months after Rivian halted construction of its east Georgia factory, a lifeline from the federal government could help it restart the highly anticipated project. Why it matters: Rivian's planned 2,000-acre compound roughly 50 miles east of Atlanta,

Rivian has secured conditional approval of a loan of up to $6.6 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy to build a production facility in Georgia – as long as the company won't actively oppose union organizing efforts.

Rivian said on Monday it has received conditional approval for a loan of up to $6.6 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy to build the electric vehicle maker's production facility in Georgia.

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The U.S. Department of Energy has agreed to loan the company $6.6 billion. This loan will help Rivian build a new factory in Stanton Springs North, Georgia, to produce electric vehicles. If everything goes as planned,