Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new package of proposed rules, including one to allow for the production of renewable transportation fuel at multiple facilities. This framework would allow for innovative, clean fuel options to be generated and sold on the market. The new rule is the direct result of Cortez Masto’s advocacy with both the Trump and Biden administrations – dating back to 2017 – and will benefit the commercialization of fuel from Storey County’s new Sierra BioFuels Plant. With this fix, Fulcrum BioEnergy’s Sierra BioFuels Plant will become one of the world’s first commercial-scale plant to convert household garbage into low-cost, low-carbon transportation fuel.
“This is an important step for clean energy that will help us combat climate change while supporting jobs across Nevada,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ll continue to work with the EPA to get this rule finalized and ensure Fulcrum’s plant is supported for years to come. I’ll always fight for Nevada’s businesses and the jobs they create.”
“This action is critical to the success of commercializing our Sierra BioFuels Plant and an entirely new industry. We applaud the determination and skill of Senator Cortez Masto in working to move this rulemaking forward, which will support the economy in Northern Nevada and help to cement Nevada’s reputation as a national and global leader in clean energy,” stated Eric Pryor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fulcrum BioEnergy.
As part of her Innovation State Initiative, Cortez Masto has led efforts in the Senate to promote clean and renewable energy projects, including the Fulcrum BioEnergy project in Storey County. Fulcrum’s Sierra BioFuels facility is designed to produce renewable transportation fuel from municipal solid waste, or household garbage, collected in Northern Nevada. The waste will be refined at the Sierra BioFuels Plant to create a low-carbon product – called a biointermediate – which will then be transported to other refineries across the country and converted into clean transportation fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel and gasoline.
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