STATELINE, Nev. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) attended and spoke at the 4th annual Lake Tahoe Electric Transportation Forum at the Tahoe Blue Events Center on Thursday, Aug. 20.
The annual forum, founded and organized by Kevin McGehee, brings together leading voices for advocacy and educational conversations about clean energy transportation on land, on water, and in the air.
McGehee expressed that he was thrilled to have the Senator there. “She has been a tremendous supporter of clean energy transportation technologies and has supported this forum since its inception four years ago,” he said. “Her continued engagement means a great deal to us and reinforces the importance of bringing together government, industry, and the community to advance practical clean energy solutions.”
The senator highlighted the implementation of electric transit buses in Lake Tahoe and how increased electric vehicle use will reduce pollution, combat climate change, and ultimately help keep Lake Tahoe blue.
“Over the past ten years, I’ve seen our summers get even hotter, our fire seasons grow more severe, and our drought worsen,” she said, but also expressed hope in seeing clean energy expand and become more accessible. She shared that EV registrations have increased by nearly 420% in Nevada.
Senator Cortez Masto expressed the importance of, and her support for, not only expanding access to electric vehicles and installing charging ports, but also ensuring the industry has a strong domestic supply chain, including critical minerals and battery manufacturing.
“By bolstering our clean transportation industry, we’re doing so much more than putting cars on the road – we’re creating good-paying jobs, helping Nevadans get where they need to go, combating climate change, and bringing down costs for everyone.”
The senator shared her experience investigating the clean energy industry in Nevada, which included traveling to all Nevada counties and encountering the mining industry’s significance to rural communities.
She reviewed how the electric vehicle supply chain in Nevada has expanded dramatically, bringing about the Tesla and Panasonic gigafactory.
“Nevada is leading the clean energy revolution in the U.S. and hosts the nation’s most complete ‘lithium loop’ needed for lithium battery manufacturing and recycling.”
Yet, she expressed, there is still work to do and discussed the bills she recently introduced to make electric vehicles and other clean transportation technologies more accessible to consumers.
One bill pertinent to Lake Tahoe is the Cleaner TRAILS Initiative, which she explained would make it easier for travelers to use electric vehicles on public lands by adding zero-emission fueling infrastructure at National Parks, U.S. Forest Service Sites, and near airports.
“I’ve never been someone who is going to tell Nevadans they have to abandon their gas-powered cars. But together, we are making EVs an easy, cost-effective, attractive choice for Nevadans from all walks of life,” she said.
Senator Cortez Masto, who was also in town for the 30th Tahoe Summit, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn more about clean transportation in the Tahoe Basin at the forum.
The forum’s featured speaker this year was aeronautical pioneer Heather Chirtea, America’s first female flying car owner and pilot, as the annual event explored electric transportation in the sky.
