Reno, Nevada — The new $21 million investment aims to make Reno a global leader in the lithium-ion battery industry.
Reno will be one of 12 of the nation's leading technology hubs funded by the Biden Administration's Creating Winning Incentives for Semiconductor Manufacturing (CHIPS) Act and Science and Technology Act, which will create American manufacturing jobs focused on science and technology advancements.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Sen. Jacky Rosen on Tuesday toured the facility, which will become the nation's leader in lithium battery production.
Rosen said there were about 400 applications for the tech hub designation, which was ultimately narrowed down to just 12 innovation centers that received funding, including Reno's Lithium Loop Tech Hub.
“The biggest goal of this effort is to invest in communities across America that have something special, that have assets, and here in Nevada, of course, we have the largest lithium deposit in North America,” Raimondo said.
The $21 million in federal funding will be provided through the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), which will also use the hub to provide educational opportunities to students.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the university. When we think about economic development, we're connected to industry, but we're also connected to the workforce in the community,” UNR Chancellor Jeff Thompson said.
The 12 locations were chosen for this funding in part because they are not among the few cities that have led the way in technology, with the goal of spreading jobs across the U.S. and tapping into other resources the country has to offer, such as lithium.
The list of 31 finalists (12 of whom ultimately received funding) can be found here .
