Cadenza Is Considering Ulster For Its New ‘SuperCell’ Manufacturing Facility; Schumer Says Former IBM & TechCity Site, Now Called iPark87, That He Fought Hard To Get Cleaned Up, Is Primed To Make Cadenza An Anchor Tenant With Substantial Investment At New Site 

Schumer Delivered Clean-Energy Investments From The Inflation Reduction Act And Infrastructure & Jobs Bill That Have Already Sparked Companies like Zinc8 To Consider Coming To Ulster – Now Schumer Doubles Down To Land Another Clean Battery Manufacturer And Hundreds More Jobs To Ulster County 

Schumer To Cadenza: Picking Ulster County Will Be A Win-Win-Win by Making The Hudson Valley A Clean Energy Hub, Creating Hundreds Of New Good-Paying Jobs, And Supercharging The Fight Against Climate Change 

After his successful push sparking Zinc8 to bring 500 new clean energy jobs to Ulster County, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced that he personally met with Dr. Christina Lampe-Onnerud, CEO of Cadenza Innovation, a cutting-edge lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery company, urging Cadenza to select iPark87 for its proposed multi-hundred million dollar investment that would bring hundreds of new clean energy jobs to the Hudson Valley.

In the meeting, Schumer made clear that Ulster’s former TechCity campus, now known as iPark87, has all the right assets to become the home of Cadenza’s next major manufacturing facility, and said that the historic federal incentives he passed in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to expand U.S.-based battery technologies can help to supercharge Cadenza’s future in New York.

“Cadenza’s interest in bringing hundreds of new jobs to Ulster County’s former TechCity site, now called iPark87, shows that the Hudson Valley is on the map and poised to become a hub for clean energy innovation. With state-of-the-art battery companies like Zinc8 already working to set up shop in the Hudson Valley, securing Cadenza’s spot at iPark87 would be a major win as we work to revitalize Ulster County’s former economic engine, making it a future home to thousands of good-paying clean energy jobs. That’s why I’m doubling down to transform this site to once again become the beating heart of Ulster County’s economy, all while powering a cleaner, brighter future, fighting climate change, and creating hundreds of good-paying jobs,” said Senator Schumer. “I made it clear to Cadenza’s CEO, Dr. Christina Lampe-Onnerud, that I stand ready to help their potential expansion in the Hudson Valley in any way, including fighting to secure the historic federal battery research and development incentives I passed in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Hudson Valley and New York can be the lightning rod for the future of battery investment in the U.S., and I will not stop fighting to make sure our country’s battery future is powered by New York workers.”

Schumer explained that, as a growth-stage company, Cadenza Innovation’s patented technology architecture – the ‘superCell‘ – is enabling a new generation of safe, higher performing, lower-cost Li-ion batteries and energy storage solutions. Eliminating risk of fires and explosions, the U.S. Department of Defense-tested and UL Registered superCell technology platform fuels urban deployments due to its safe, flexible and space-efficient design, bolsters utility grid resilience and powers a range of uses in the electric vehicle (EV) and commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors.

Cadenza is actively considering New York as the next location to scale its production with a multi-hundred-million dollar investment that would supercharge efforts to revitalize Ulster County’s former economic hub while putting the Hudson Valley and the broader Upstate New York region on the map as a global leader in clean-energy technology. Schumer said that batteries and energy storage are integral to everyday life, helping to power everything from mobile phones to electric vehicles, but unfortunately, much of the manufacturing of this critical technology has been offshored, leaving the country vulnerable to supply chain disruptions that can raise costs for working families and jeopardize U.S. jobs and national security. Schumer explained that expanding domestic manufacturing of battery technology is integral to America’s future.

“Two years ago, Senator Schumer saw the potential of the vacant, polluted former Tech City campus and promised to help. He brought everyone together and not only took action to clean up the site, but he also has worked non-stop to attract state-of-the-art clean energy companies to iPark87 to revitalize the site and create thousands of jobs,” said Mike Oates President and CEO of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation. “Senator Schumer has been an invaluable resource to us and we wouldn’t be in this position without him. We are thrilled about the potential of Cadenza bringing over hundreds of new jobs to the region as iPark87 shapes up to be a clean energy hub.”

“We are excited to see the redevelopment efforts at iPark87 take positive shape.  Senator Schumer has been a true champion for the site and been helpful working with us to attract high quality jobs to the region.  We believe iPark87 can be a hub for cutting edge green technology and unmatched innovation.  Big thank you to Senator Schumer for passing critical legislation that encourages investment in clean technology and for rolling out the red carpet to these important companies,” said Joe Cotter, Owner, National Resources.

Schumer has a long history of fighting to revitalize the former TechCity campus. In July of 2021, Schumer personally visited the asbestos-contaminated TechCity site, calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fully clean up and restore Ulster County’s former economic engine, once the 30-year home of IBM. After Schumer’s advocacy, the firm reached an agreement with EPA to remove the asbestos piles, which was completed in October this year, green lighting the site to attract new businesses. Following his direct appeal, Zinc8, a leader in cutting-edge battery and energy storage technology, officially signed a letter of intent to make Ulster County their first major manufacturing hub as the company looks towards commercialization, which will bring up to 500 good-paying clean energy jobs to Upstate New York, with the company directly citing the Inflation Reduction Act and Schumer’s support and advocacy as deciding factors in the company’s decision to invest in New York.

Since becoming majority leader, Schumer has secured more than $135 billion in federal incentives to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and other energy storage applications. Schumer’s efforts to make New York a leader in the future of battery research and manufacturing is already seeing results across the state. In September 2022 after years of advocacy, Schumer secured Binghamton University’s spot as a final awardee in the American Rescue Plan’s Build Back Better Region Challenge for a $63.7 million federal investment, one of the largest grants, to help make the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes a national hub for battery research and manufacturing. Earlier this year, Schumer visited Li-Cycle in Rochester, a cutting-edge battery recycler, which is opening a new North American Hub that is slated to bring over 200 good-paying jobs and that will have even further growth opportunities from the federal investment included in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that Schumer passed.

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