Cantwell Applauds Expansion of Moses Lake Carbon Fiber Plant
Cantwell: ‘Great news for Washington’s growing composite economy’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement after the Washington State Department of Commerce announced that SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers will build two new production lines at its Moses Lake plant. The $100 million investment will allow the plant to double its production capacity.
The facility currently manufactures the carbon fiber for the frame of BMW’s new i3 vehicle and supports 80 high-skilled jobs in Grant County.
“This expansion is great news for Washington’s growing composite economy,” Cantwell said. “The BMW i3 has the first carbon fiber car frame in a mass market vehicle – and its carbon fiber is made right in Moses Lake. Lightweight, efficient composites are critical building blocks to the future of transportation. Today’s announcement keeps Central Washington and Washington state at the forefront of advanced manufacturing job growth.”
On November 7, 2013, Cantwell highlighted the leadership in Moses Lake and Washington state on composite manufacturing at the Washington, D.C., rollout of the i3.
In 2007, Cantwell introduced legislation with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) along with then Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) to make plug-in hybrids and other electric automobiles more affordable for American consumers. A key provision of the bill that created a $7,500 tax credit for purchasers of plug-in electric vehicles became law in October 2008 as part of a bipartisan Cantwell-authored clean energy tax incentives package.
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