MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Moses Lake is home to several emerging industries, including battery materials that could revolutionize how people drive, fly and more. Soon, a new factory in town could mean more jobs and more development.
Group14 Technologies, a global manufacturer and supplier of advanced silicon battery technology, expects to begin manufacturing and delivering these batteries in Moses Lake by 2024. The one-million-square-foot building will employ approximately 200 people when it begins production.
“Everything from consumer electronics like your earbuds to cellphones to [electric vehicles] EVs," said Erin Robinson, the Chief Operating Officer of Group14 Technologies. "We even have people looking at doing airplanes from these kinds of batteries.”
Group14's technology gives those batteries more capacity and faster charging, meaning the work in Moses Lake could revolutionize the future of electric vehicles.
“We’ll produce enough material to produce at least 200,000 EVs a year," Robinson said.
Group14 is not the only new employer or industry coming to Moses Lake. With that kind of expansion, the city is looking at some growth of its own.
“We’ll be talking to the state and federal resources about needs for highway infrastructure, water infrastructure, sewer infrastructure," said Allison Williams, Moses Lake's city manager.
With all the new industries coming to the area, Williams estimates job opportunities will grow to about 2,000 and population will tick up above the current 3% increase.
"This small place in Grant County is on the cutting edge of technology we all need," Robinson said.
The factory is expected to open more factories in the future to continue to expand its footprint in Moses Lake. The company has committed to purchase over $30 million in U.S. steel for the factory and equipment supplied by American manufacturers.
The one-million-square-foot campus will be home to the world's largest factory of advanced silicon battery materials for EV programs to meet global decarbonization targets.
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