SCHUMER BRINGS BINGHAMTON-LED BATTERY HUB TO NATION’S CAPITOL, DELIVERS NEW $500,000 GRANT FROM HIS CHIPS & SCIENCE LAW TO SUPERCHARGE GROWING INNOVATION & RESEARCH EFFORTS; SENATOR HOSTS CONVENING THAT INCLUDES NEW ENERGY NY PROJECT TO SHOW FED AGENCIES & PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTORS HOW FUTURE OF AMERICA’S BATTERY INDUSTRY IS GROWING IN UPSTATE NY
Thanks To Schumer, Binghamton University-Led NENY Initiative Has Won Access to Historic Hundreds Of Millions And National Recognition Though NSF Regional Innovation Engines, Build Back Better Regional Challenge, & Federal Tech Hubs Designation – All Programs That Were Created By The Senator
Schumer, Along with Commerce Department, Convened Meeting In Capitol For Battery Hub Leaders To Show Off Tech Assets To Other Fed Agencies, Philanthropic, & Private Sector Investors And Highlight For More Public and Private Investment The Ongoing Work To Build Future Of America’s Battery Innovation – Along With Delivering $500K In New Funding Through His Tech Hubs Program
Schumer: Binghamton Has Proven Its Ability To Be The Core Of Innovation For America’s Battery Belt
A relentless advocate for growing innovation & manufacturing in the Southern Tier, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer this week welcomed representatives of the Binghamton University-led Upstate New York battery hub to Washington D.C. & the U.S. Capitol to tout the region’s growing R&D and innovation growth to federal agencies, philanthropic organizations, and private sector investors. Schumer also delivered a $500,000 Consortium Accelerator Award through the federal Tech Hubs program he helped land for Binghamton University, and created in his CHIPS & Science Law, to further bolster the region’s efforts to addition capital investment and attract new companies.
“This week, we showed the country that American batteries can and should be manufactured in Binghamton, not Beijing,” said Senator Schumer. “I am proud to bring representatives of Binghamton University and its partners to the Capitol to show philanthropic and private investors how New Energy New York in Binghamton and other key tech companies in Upstate NY are leading the charge in bringing battery innovation back to America. For years I worked to craft and lead to passage an array of new programs to spur economic development, bring manufacturing back to America, create good-paying jobs, and spark scientific innovation, specifically with places like Binghamton and Upstate NY in mind, and with hundreds of millions in federal funding that I have secured, that vision is becoming a reality. Together, we are strengthening the battery supply chain while creating jobs and attracting new companies to the region. I’m looking forward to making more progress as we continue to establish Binghamton as a hub for battery research and manufacturing.”
“I am so proud of Binghamton and all of our consortium partners for these successful efforts in the battery and energy storage field," said Binghamton University President Harvey G. Stenger. “We are excited to be on the receiving end of additional federal funds to support our progress. I am grateful for our biggest advocate and ardent supporter, Senator Schumer, who has not only brought more federal dollars to the region but is once again shining a national spotlight on the Southern Tier and Upstate New York, which is extraordinarily helpful in connecting our region with industry prospects and potential investors. That kind of support is invaluable."
Schumer said the $500,000 Tech Hubs Program’s Consortium Accelerator Award he is also announcing this week will enable the Binghamton led battery hub to continue their momentum, coupled with a growing list of the benefits of the Tech Hubs Designation reflecting additional ways federal agencies and community partners can accelerate Tech Hub growth. Schumer’s convening was part of a multi-day opportunity for designated Tech Hubs to pitch their regions to philanthropic leaders, including from prominent foundations like the Rockefeller Foundation, and private investors like venture capital funds to showcase investment opportunities in their regions, attracting further private capital to the efforts to build those areas into innovation leaders. Photos of Senator Schumer along with Binghamton leaders are attached.
The event also included notable guests and top officials including Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves, National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, head of the U.S Economic Development Administration Alejandra Castillo, as well as representatives from other federal agencies including the White House, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State. In addition to leaders from think tanks such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), The Aspen Institute, Brookings, and more. Schumer, who helped convene the reception in the Capitol, encouraged collaboration and further investment to match the growing ecosystem the federal investment he has helped deliver to the region and spur further private sector growth.
Schumer has long fought to secure federal investment to boost Binghamton and Upstate NY’s battery manufacturing and R&D. Most recently, Schumer announced the Binghamton University-led Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine has now won the esteemed U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional “Innovation Engines” Competition (NSF Engines), which was created by his CHIPS & Science Law. Schumer said the Binghamton-led project was one of only ten projects across the country selected for this award which will bring $15 million in federal funding immediately, with up to $160 million total over the life of the program from the NSF to supercharge growth and cutting-edge research in battery development and manufacturing in Upstate NY.
Schumer secured the prestigious tech hubs designation for Binghamton University’s New Energy New York (NENY) project, which he also created in the CHIPS & Science Act, accelerating the Southern Tier’s emergence as America’s next battery tech hub. Receiving that designation is what made this week’s $500,000 in funding through the CHIPS & Science Law, along with the potential for philanthropic and private sector investment, possible. Schumer designed the Tech Hubs program to strengthen a region’s capacity to commercialize, manufacture, and grow technology in key focus areas like batteries, and now, thanks to his efforts, Binghamton is spurring innovation and bringing the manufacturing of batteries back to America, all while supporting the economic resurgence of the Southern Tier.
In addition to the NSF Engine award and national recognition through the Tech Hubs program, Schumer’s American Rescue Plan created programs like the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) that also supported Binghamton’s efforts. Schumer personally advocated for the selection of Binghamton University’s battery hub proposal for this BBBRC federal investment and in December 2021, Binghamton’s project was selected as a Phase 1 awardee out of over 500 applications from around the country to compete for a final award. In April 2022, Schumer personally visited the Southern Tier to double down on his advocacy, standing with Dr. Whittingham, to reiterate his support and urge federal leaders to select Binghamton as a final Regional Challenge awardee.
Finally, in September 2022, Schumer secured Binghamton’s spot as a final awardee, with a $63.7 million federal investment, one of the largest grants made in the competition, which was matched by $50 million in funding from New York State, to help make the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes a national hub for battery research and manufacturing. Additionally, Schumer brought Dr. Whittingham as his guest to last year’s State of the Union to highlight Binghamton’s national leadership in battery technology.
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