RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Currently, Nevada is the only place in the country where lithium is extracted, processed and then recycled.
“We found that there's a lot of lithium here,” says Dragonfly Energy CEO Dennis Phares, “so it's a great place to start a battery company.”
Fales said he saw the area's potential several years ago and moved his company here, and it was in his warehouse that Sen. Jacky Rosen made Tuesday's big announcement.
“I am extremely proud to announce that we have secured $21 million for the next phase of Nevada's Lithium Loop Technology Hub,” she announced.
Lithium Loop is one of 31 regional programs designated as technology hubs by the Biden administration last year, part of the federal government's goal to establish domestic renewable energy sources in the U.S. and minimize reliance on foreign sources.
“A big part of this plan is to invest in a region that has something special,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “And, of course, this is home to the largest reserves of lithium in North America.”
Raimondo said President Biden's “Invest in America” policy aims to make the U.S. more innovative and competitive than the rest of the world.
“What we're trying to do is start the industries of the future in America, grow them in America, and create jobs for American workers.”
The Nevada tech hub is part of an effort to expand the nation's technology centers beyond coastal areas like Silicon Valley, led by the University of Nevada, Reno, whose president, Jeff Thompson, clearly recognizes the importance of.
“This is an opportunity for Northern Nevada and Reno to join the green revolution,” he said.
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