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Cortez Masto, Rosen Announce $2 Million to Support Virginia City Biofuel Company

Government and Politics

January 26, 2023


Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced that they have secured a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help Nevada-based Comstock Inc. produce biofuel. Comstock has developed an innovative and cost-effective process that produces sustainable, renewable fuel from wood byproducts. This project will create new jobs and help lower Nevada’s carbon footprint.

“Nevada is a hotspot for clean energy, and the federal funding I secured will help bring another innovative biofuel producer online in Northern Nevada,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ll continue to work to support Nevada’s position as a leader in clean-energy industries that are creating good-paying jobs and growing our state’s economy.”

“As a renewable energy source, biofuels are a critical part of our efforts to grow and strengthen our clean energy economy,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to have helped secure this funding to incentivize more biofuel manufacturing in our state, which will help lower prices, improve our environment, and create more jobs in Northern Nevada.”

“We are grateful for the DOE’s recognition of our technology and winning this grant award,” said Corrado De Gasperis, Comstock’s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “This is a remarkable opportunity to work with an extraordinary team of collaborators to demonstrate that the U.S. can strike and sustain an immensely profitable new net zero balance between the Earth’s living systems and domestic mobility emissions. I want to thank Senators Rosen and Cortez-Masto, as well as Congressman Amodei, for their strong support of our application and Nevada’s business community.”

Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have worked to support Nevada’s cutting-edge clean-energy economy. Through her Innovation State Initiative, Senator Cortez Masto has been a longtime proponent of renewable and sustainable energy, passing bipartisan legislation to promote Nevada’s mining and emerging battery industries. She has worked hard to set up a sustainable critical mineral supply chain and has delivered more than $107 million in funding to American Battery Technology and other Nevada companies. Last year, she helped cut through red tape to ensure Fulcrum BioEnergy’s new Sierra BioFuels Plant in Storey County could launch operations.

Senator Rosen secured a provision in the bipartisan CHIPS and Science package to support advanced manufacturing workforce development and help fill the gap caused by the growth of U.S. advanced manufacturing jobs. Senator Rosen also led the fight to protect American solar energy, support solar jobs, and boost domestic solar manufacturing.