WOODINVILLE, Wash. – Group14 Technologies, a global provider of silicon-carbon composite materials for lithium-ion markets, hosts Washington Governor Jay Inslee at the company’s headquarters and Battery Active Materials (BAM) factory in Woodinville to discuss the role of electrification in jolting the clean energy economy statewide and globally.
According to the Department of Energy, the energy sector had been one of the country’s fastest growing sectors prior to the pandemic and has rebounded quickly with 560,000 jobs created in 2020. In Washington state, the sector saw tremendous growth at the onset of 2020, with more than 85,000 employed in clean energy positions and raking in nearly 11% more than the state’s overall median wage, according to a report by E2, a nonpartisan group of environmental entrepreneurs.
“Climate change is the defining crisis of our time. Not only is it a health and quality of life issue, but it also plays a critical role in driving our economy forward,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “In order to meet our climate goals, we need big, bold action from companies to grow clean energy jobs in Washington and reduce carbon emissions for a more sustainable future.”
The largest manufacturer of lithium-silicon battery materials in the United States, Group14 plays a critical role in accelerating the growth of the state’s clean energy economy. Since the beginning of the year, the company has grown by 130 percent, hiring for positions across the board from engineers to marketers to process operators for its Woodinville headquarters and factory. As the company continues to scale, it expects to open up more manufacturing positions at its BAM factory to support customer demand for its lithium-silicon product, SCC55.
“Two of the biggest reasons we decided to base Group14 in Washington are the access to clean power as well as the state’s aggressive sustainability initiatives to rapidly decarbonize over the next few decades,” said Rick Luebbe, CEO and co-founder of Group14 Technologies. “It is encouraging to see strong public and private support for the development of a local clean energy economy, and we are committed to opening the door to clean manufacturing jobs as we continue to scale.”