Biden-Harris Administration’s Tech Hubs Program Awards Approximately $21 Million to Nevada Tech Hub to Strengthen the Region’s Capacity as a Global Leader in Lithium Batteries and Electric Vehicle Materials

Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), has announced that it is slated to award approximately $21 million to the Nevada Tech Hub, a consortium led by University of Nevada, Reno, to implement two projects that will bolster the region’s ability to scale up the production and delivery of critical technologies that will strengthen America’s critical minerals supply chain.

In October 2023, the Nevada Tech Hub was selected as one of 31 Designated Tech Hubs in regions across the country as part of Phase 1 of the new Tech Hubs Program, a flagship initiative aimed at advancing U.S. leadership in critical technologies and industries. The designation is a strong endorsement of the consortium’s regional plan to supercharge its respective critical technology ecosystem and become a global leader over the next decade.

“Every American deserves the opportunity to thrive, no matter where they live. Today’s announcement that the Department of Commerce is investing $504 million in Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs across the country will ensure that the benefits of the industries of the future – from artificial intelligence and clean energy, to biotechnology and more – are shared with communities that have been overlooked for far too long, including rural, Tribal, industrial, and disadvantaged communities,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “These Tech Hubs will give regions across our nation the resources and opportunities necessary to lead in the economy of tomorrow while creating good-paying jobs for American workers.”

“President Biden has been clear that you shouldn’t have to move to one of a handful of cities to get a good-paying job in tech. Now, thanks to the Tech Hubs program, we’re making good on that sentiment by expanding America’s innovation ecosystem and creating economic opportunity in new technology sectors all over the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to his Investing in America agenda, the Nevada Tech Hub and the other Tech Hub awardees will play a critical role in accelerating America’s leadership in the industries of the future, all while creating high quality, family-sustaining 21st century jobs in people’s backyards.”

As one of 12 Tech Hub Designees selected for implementation funding, the Nevada Tech Hub will leverage this award to support projects that are:

• Working with community colleges, state agencies, industry, and labor unions to bolster the region’s reservoir of skilled workers; 
• Providing educational opportunities and wraparound support for students at the secondary and post-secondary levels; 
• Promoting awareness of STEM-related occupations across Nevada’s lithium economy, increasing retention of Native students in STEM-related fields, and creating guided pathways to family-sustaining jobs in the growing Hub workforce; 
• Supporting the administrative capacity and readiness of Nevada’s Native American and Indigenous communities to promote their ability to productively engage with industry; and 
• Creating and maintaining effective and equitable management and decision-making processes, advising on workforce development strategies, and facilitating connections to relevant experts and organizations. 

The final grant amount will be finalized in the coming months.

The Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop (Nevada Tech Hub) aims to build a self-sustaining and globally competitive full lithium lifecycle cluster, spanning extraction, processing, manufacturing, and recycling. With a foundation of rich sources of lithium and materials essential to electrification, the Nevada Tech Hub is working to align and coordinate its innovation and economic development activities with established companies, startups, education, and workforce development organizations to enable this region to become a global lithium leader. The Nevada Tech Hub seeks to position the Silver State as a strong node in the critical lithium supply chain and an ideal location for the nation’s future sustainable electrification storage industry. (Click here to learn more about the Nevada Tech Hub.)

“The Department of Commerce is laser focused on expanding economic opportunity to every corner of this country,” said Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves. “The Tech Hubs program is a commitment to American economic prosperity and success. These 12 awardees embody the innovation and creativity that can be found nationwide, boosting U.S. manufacturing and bolstering U.S. global competitiveness, bringing President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to the forefront.”

“The 31 Tech Hubs Designees exemplify place-based economic development strategies at their best: combining federal resources with regional assets, expertise, and coalitions to implement transformational opportunities,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “We’re excited to see this initial round of implementation funding supporting a surge of new jobs, new technologies, and new energy to bolster America’s competitiveness.”

“This funding is critical for the development of lithium battery and electric vehicles technology in Nevada, and it’s simultaneously essential for the advancement of America’s energy future,” said Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. “I look forward to seeing the innovation and progress of The Tech Hub at the University of Nevada, Reno as a result of this funding.”

“I am excited to see this federal designation and funding I helped secure coming to UNR’s national Tech Hub to strengthen Nevada’s clean energy supply chain and help create more good-paying jobs in lithium battery manufacturing and recycling,” said Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. “This investment from the CHIPS and Science Act is a testament to Nevada’s leadership in developing new cutting-edge technologies, and I’m going to keep fighting to bring in more resources to support our clean energy future and boost our global competitiveness.”

“Nevada is uniquely positioned to lead our nation in the lithium supply chain and the University of Nevada, Reno is a crucial partner in getting that done,” said Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen. “That’s why I worked with President Sandoval to secure the University’s Lithium Loop Tech Hub designation and get nearly $21 million in funding to encourage innovation, create new economic opportunities, and produce thousands of jobs. This funding is a testament to Nevada’s leadership in advanced clean energy technology and represents an important step forward in our role as a global leader in lithium battery and electric vehicle innovation.”

“As the Ranking Member of the Economic Development subcommittee, I’m proud to have helped secure funding from the EDA to build a sustainable supply chain for lithium right here in the Battle Born State,” said Representative Dina Titus (NV-01). “This funding will ensure our country has a sustainable energy apparatus and workforce to meet our clean energy goals for the 21st Century. Congratulations to the University of Nevada-Reno for this historic accomplishment.”

“The jobs of today and tomorrow require a skilled workforce capable of securing well-paying union positions dedicated to shaping Nevada's and our nation's clean energy future,” said Representative Steven Horsford (NV-04). “The Nevada Tech Hub is pivotal in establishing a robust pipeline for trained workers, collaborating closely with community colleges, state agencies, industry leaders, and labor unions. These initiatives also invest in our youth, including Native students, by fostering STEM-related careers crucial to Nevada’s burgeoning lithium economy. They provide invaluable educational pathways from secondary through post-secondary levels.”

The Tech Hubs Program was authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which he signed into law in August 2022. The statute authorized $10 billion for the program over five years. To date, EDA has been appropriated $541 million for the program.

The United States is the global leader in research and development, and the Tech Hubs Program is designed to increase the capacity and pace with which Americans make, deliver, and deploy innovative technologies, creating new, growing companies and new, good jobs.

Read more about the Tech Hubs program at TechHubs.gov.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.