Granholm highlights clean energy on Nevada tour

WASHINGTON – Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will highlight Biden administration policies to accelerate a transition to clean energy with a tour of what will be the largest liquid hydrogen production plant in North Las Vegas on Friday, officials said.

Granholm will also visit a Henderson facility that is using technology to modernize the electrical grid, and a home weatherized for energy efficiency.

“It’s exciting to see the Silver State’s leadership prioritize renewables, improve grid reliability to power millions of homes and businesses and invest in electric vehicle infrastructure,” Granholm said in a statement to the Review-Journal.

Granholm will be joined by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., for a tour of Air Liquide, a $250 million facility that is expected to open as early as this month and will produce fuel to keep more than 40,000 electric vehicles on the road, according to the company.

“I’m eager to show Secretary Granholm Nevada’s strong clean-energy economy,” Cortez Masto said.

Cortez Masto said the global company’s liquid hydrogen plant is just one example of the state’s lead in 21st-Century technologies.

Although the hydrogen plant has been long planned by a global company, it could be eligible for expansion incentives included in the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Nevada is a leading state in solar energy development and lithium production used to make batteries for electric vehicles, cell phones and other devices, according to state officials.

Granholm will begin the day at a facility designed to modernize the electrical grid, and later at a home where new technologies were used to increase energy efficiency. She will be accompanied by Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev.

“Our state is a leader in clean energy, and I look forward to spending time with Secretary Granholm discussing how funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will strengthen our grid and make homes in Southern Nevada more energy efficient,” Lee said in a statement.

Every member of the Nevada congressional delegation voted to pass the $1.2 trillion package to improve roads, bridges, railways, water and sewerage systems, as well as energy and broadband infrastructure.

Biden, who championed clean energy initiatives, signed the bill into law.

Granholm’s visit to Nevada will highlight the Biden administration’s approach to accelerating the clean energy transition to help Americans save money, improve air quality and create good-paying jobs in the growing clean energy industry, according to Energy Department officials.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.