The U.S. Financial Improvement Administration (EDA) introduced at the moment that the Nevada Lithium Batteries and Different EV Materials Loop (Nevada Tech Hub), a statewide effort led by the College of Nevada, Reno, might be awarded roughly $21 million to guide initiatives to strengthen America’s lithium batteries, essential components and different electrical automobile supplies trade sectors inside the state.
“Northern Nevada has the potential to be a worldwide chief in battery and electrical automobile innovation, with the College of Nevada, Reno main the way in which,” mentioned U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen. “That’s why I’m proud to have helped safe a Tech Hub designation for the Lithium Loop and have labored with President Sandoval to get hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in funding for it. I’m proud to announce that these efforts paid off and our state will obtain almost $21 million that may encourage innovation, create new financial alternatives, and remodel Nevada’s financial system with hundreds of good-paying jobs within the lithium provide chain.”
In October 2023, the Nevada Tech Hub was chosen as one in every of 31 Designated Tech Hubs in areas throughout the nation as a part of Section 1 of the brand new Tech Hubs Program, a flagship initiative geared toward advancing U.S. management in essential applied sciences and industries.
“Due to the sturdy management of President Biden within the White Home, Senator Rosen within the Senate, and others, we set out on a mission to seek out areas which have present expertise and supercharge it to allow these areas to grow to be world-class leaders in making and delivering expertise,” mentioned U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Nevada Tech Hub based mostly in Reno will assist make the area a worldwide lithium chief by bringing collectively corporations, startups, faculties, and workforce improvement organizations – all whereas boosting financial improvement and alternative in Northern Nevada and creating new good-paying jobs.”
The Nevada Tech Hub is one in every of 12 designees chosen for implementation funding. The award will fund two initiatives, the Nevada Native Nations Heart and Workforce Improvement Element undertaking. The ultimate grant quantity might be finalized within the coming months. The College Heart for Financial Improvement, inside the Faculty of Enterprise, will function the lead company for the EDA-awarded funding.
“We’re honored to be chosen by the EDA for this elite designation and funding, empowering our training establishment to grow to be a worldwide chief in power expertise,” College President Brian Sandoval mentioned. “With the funding we obtained at the moment from the EDA, mixed with the beneficiant funding from the Nevada State Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee, we are going to spend money on focused and aggressive enterprise creation, attraction, retention and enlargement efforts designed to shut recognized gaps on this rising trade sector throughout our state. I want to thank Sen. Jacky Rosen, Sen. Cortez Masto, Gov. Joe Lombardo and the Nevada Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee for his or her management and continued help of our Tech Hub initiative that may evoke a generational shift within the financial way forward for Nevada.”
Coordinated by the College Workplace of Indigenous Relations, the Nevada Native Nations Heart will present a nationwide mannequin, with direct enter and session with Tribal communities, addressing workforce obstacles and inequities whereas offering profession pathway alternatives for Nevada’s Native American, Tribal and Indigenous peoples within the lithium batteries and electrical automobile supplies industries. The Nevada Native Nations Heart undertaking is the one EDA-awarded undertaking that focuses on training and workforce improvement for Native American and Indigenous peoples.
The Workforce Improvement Element undertaking, coordinated by the Governor’s Workplace of Workforce Innovation, will develop, improve and help a talented workforce able to assembly the dynamic hiring wants of the lithium batteries, essential components and different electrical automobile supplies trade sectors. The undertaking plans to impression 50,000 employees over the 5 years of the grant’s implementation, together with a give attention to reaching English language learners and people inside the correctional system.
“This funding is essential for the event of lithium battery and electrical autos expertise in Nevada, and it’s concurrently important for the development of America’s power future,” mentioned Governor Joe Lombardo. “I sit up for seeing the innovation and progress of The Tech Hub on the College of Nevada, Reno because of this funding.”
The Tech Hubs Program was licensed by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which President Joe Biden signed into regulation in August 2022. The statute licensed $10 billion for this system over 5 years. Up to now, EDA has been appropriated $541 million for this system.