MOSES LAKE, Wash. – Governor Jay Inslee visited Moses Lake to tour two new battery component manufacturing factories along with U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.
The tour was also an effort to discuss opportunities and expansion in clean energy manufacturing as well as job growth in Central Washington.
Each new facility received $100 million Energy Department grants in 2022, according to the U.S. Senate. Both facilities were being opened by Sila Nanotechnologies and Group14 Technologies.
“It is a very, very exciting moment for Moses Lake and the State of Washington, you are really becoming a testbed for next generation energy technologies that are going to help our nation be competitive in the future,” said Sen. Cantwell. “America’s competitiveness depends on next generation innovation and scaling that to a level that makes America competitive in the manufacturing sector. This really is how America brings manufacturing jobs back to the United States–so important for growing the middle class, so important for us and our competitiveness as a nation.”
After the tour, Gov. Inslee, Sen. Cantwell and Energy Sec. Granholm had a roundtable discussion where Sila announced a new training partnership that will support workforce development for battery manufacturing, fund scholarships, internships, coaching, and hands-on curriculum programs at Big Bend Community College and the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center.
The program will enroll more than two dozen students by the end of this year and will be funded by Sila’s $2 million Department of Energy Award. Courses are set to begin early next year.
“I want to just express my gratitude to your senators, but Sen. Cantwell has just been such a leader on science and innovation, and the CHIPS & Science Act as well,” said Secretary Granholm. “Unbelievable leadership that you have here in Washington to be the tip of the spear of where the country is going on clean energy. And Moses Lake! You guys are like the center of the universe! What is happening here? It is amazing.”
