Granholm Discusses Industrial Strategy in Reno: US Energy Sec

U.S. Energy Secretary Visits Northern Nevada to Discuss Industrial Strategy

U.S. Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, visited Northern Nevada on Tuesday to discuss the Biden Administration’s national industrial strategy. The two-term Michigan governor led the state through the 2008 Great Recession that triggered the Detroit auto industry’s bankruptcy.

Address to State and Local Leaders

Her first visit in Northern Nevada was at the Truckee Meadows Community College William N. Pennington Applied Technology Center, addressing state and local leaders, and the region’s clean energy industry. Granholm emphasized the United States’ lack of a national industrial strategy, which she believes led to the country’s industrial base loss.

U.S. Manufacturing Decline

U.S. manufacturing has been declining since the 1990s, with production often outsourced, particularly to China. According to Granholm, this outsourcing resulted in 60,000 factories leaving America in the 2000s.

Biden Administration’s Industrial Strategy

The Biden Administration aims to stimulate and incentivize new U.S. manufacturing, enhancing economic activity and securing domestic supply lines. This strategy is supported by three main bills: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act, collectively forming the “Investing in America” program.

Focus on Clean Energy

With 19 industrial clean energy projects announced in Nevada since President Biden assumed office, the strategy is primarily focused on clean energy. The goal is to achieve a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by 2050. Granholm praised Nevada’s potential for economic clusters around battery production and recycling.

Tour of ABTC Battery Recycling Plant

Granholm also visited the American Battery Technology Company’s (ABTC) lithium-ion battery recycling plant at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center in Nevada. The plant received $10 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. ABTC’s lithium refining project near Tonopah also benefitted, receiving $57 million from the same law.

Trump Campaign Response

The Trump campaign criticized Biden’s energy policy, arguing it favours environmental extremists rather than strengthening national security or lowering costs. The spokesperson stated that President Trump would prioritize unleashing American Energy to reduce inflation, pay down debt, strengthen national security, and establish the U.S. as a manufacturing superpower.