Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement highlighting her legislation with Senator Angus King (I-Maine) to create jobs, support our global competitiveness, and improve our domestic supply chains by strengthening our domestic battery manufacturing industry.
“Nevada has an emerging innovation economy that’s creating jobs and boosting clean energy technologies and the transportation sector,” said Senator Cortez Masto, “and I’m doing everything I can to strengthen these industries. My legislation will help produce the batteries that electric cars and buses, computers, cell phones, and other cutting-edge technologies rely on while also reducing batteries’ environmental footprint. I’ll continue to promote Nevada’s clean energy economy through my Innovation State Initiative to make sure Nevada continues to create jobs for the future and strengthen our domestic battery supply chain.”
“The Battery Materials and Technology Coalition thanks Senator Cortez Masto for her work to support a robust North American battery supply chain,” said Ben Steinberg, BMTC spokesperson. “This critical piece of legislation will provide needed financial support to make America competitive in the global EV battery market, create new domestic manufacturing jobs, and help to reduce carbon emissions.”
Cortez Masto’s Battery Material Processing and Component Manufacturing Act will establish a $6 billion fund at the Department of Energy (DOE) to allow industry, state and local government, and academic institutions to apply for grants to support battery recycling programs, and research and development. These investments will allow for expanded domestic manufacturing and increase the overall environmental benefits of recycling the batteries essential to our daily lives. Through her position on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, she secured this bill in the bipartisan infrastructure package.
Since establishing her Innovation State Initiative, Cortez Masto has been a leader in the Senate on efforts to encourage the use of clean energy, spur electric vehicle development, and diversify Nevada’s economy through support for research and innovation projects across the state. She has supported numerous provisions to support innovation technology supply chains and help build out Nevada’s electric vehicle infrastructure.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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