As we’ve been reporting, Northern Nevada is home to one of the largest known lithium deposits in the country. The Biden administration is taking steps toward harnessing it as a central piece to their national clean energy agenda.
Friday, two senior Biden Administration officials toured and held a roundtable at the University of Nevada, Reno.
President Biden’s Chief Science and Technology Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar and Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan spoke with students and faculty are the university’s Materials and Electrochemical Research Lab.
This week marks one year since the Biden Administration passed the Chips and Science Act.
The “science” aspect of the act is geared toward boosting investments in technology research.
To that end, the National Science Foundation is administering the Regional Innovative Engine program, or NSF Engines to institutions across the U.S. The NSF is in the development phase and have so far given $43 million to 44 institutions including the University of Nevada, Reno.
The University of Nevada, Reno has received $1 million dollars in federal funding. However, if they make it through the development phase and secure the main NSF Engine designation, the university could be looking at getting north of $100 million federal dollars in the next ten years.
It’s a high recognition for the work that has been done, and the work left to be done.
“You’re building the largest lithium mine here. You’re having researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno who are working on the research on aspects of how do we extract, how do we process, how do we recycle. How do we ensure the whole life cycle of lithium based battery technologies,” said Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan.
The goal of the NSF Engine is to build Northern Nevada into an innovative ecosystem that harnesses the region’s potential lithium power. In a short time, Panchanathan says Northern Nevada could be responsible for delivering lithium batteries to the rest of the country.
In order to do so, the NSF Engine will transform Northern Nevada into an innovative ecosystem that will partner industry, academia, government, non-profits, and civil society – sparking economic development and jobs.
“Building the workforce along with it. How do you build certificate programs to train people. How do you build a minor around lithium battery technologies. All of this is happening right now at the University of Nevada Reno, but in partnership with the entire community,” said Panchanathan.
The two senior Biden officials toured the Paul Laxalt Mineral Research building to meet with students and faculty who are advancing all phases of the lithium battery value chain.
The labs conduct research pertaining to advanced minerals, lithium battery technology, and lithium recycling.
“The things that we learned about were about minerals, and materials, and how to build better batteries, and how to recycle materials, and cleanup waste from industrial processes. And, here we are in Reno, you look around at these ancient hills and the mountains, and there is this direct connection to this work that is being done in these labs,” said Biden Administration Chief Science and Technology Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development, or GOED, has played an instrumental role in the success of the advancements brought forward by the science arm of the university.
Since 2015, GOED has given $8 million to the Nevada Center for Applied Research at the university.
