Governor Tina Kotek, Senator Ron Wyden, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici spearheaded the inaugural gathering of Oregon's Clean Tech Manufacturing Task Force this Thursday—an assembly looking to flex federal financial muscle to amp up Oregon's play for a greener future.
The crew at the helm, including Kotek, Wyden, and Daimler Truck North America's CEO John O’Leary, are eyeing a piece of that whopping $60 billion pie the feds baked into the Inflation Reduction Act, a kitty full of tax credits, loans, and grants destined for the domestic manufacturing arena of the clean energy sector—this was a detail confirmed by the Governor's office.
Governor Kotek strutted the local know-how and guts, saying via the Governor's Office newsroom, "Oregonians understand the challenges and opportunities ahead of us in the face of accelerating climate change, and Oregon is a leader in manufacturing." She pegged this newly minted task force as the golden ticket to step up the state's game in the clean tech manufacturing ring.
Senator Wyden wasn't shy with his two cents either, touting a smooth kickoff and selling dreams of green-lined blue-collar jobs rolling off the back of this task force. This same vision for job-rich green pastures was echoed by Bonamici, who painted a picture of an Oregon ripe for a "just transition" to a clean energy economy powered by innovation, academia, stout partnerships, and daredevil leadership, according to her words captured by the Governor's office.
Meanwhile, Daimler's O'Leary stoked the fire under this initiative, pontificating about the high stakes and brighter prospects for Oregon, which could crown it as a champ in the clean technology arena, chasing after the energy storage market upswing as relayed by Joseph Lu, chief at Powin Energy and QPO Energy, who's already seeing dollar signs and job tallies escalating if this task force plays its cards right.
