WARREN — President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order that, in part, calls for electrification of the federal government’s vehicle fleet and then was invited to visit the Mahoning Valley, where tremendous strides are being made in electric vehicle and clean energy technology.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, made the request of Biden and key personnel in his administration to tour two modern energy facilities and attend a “Voltage Valley” roundtable “to discuss strategic initiatives and look for opportunities to accelerate local efforts that align” with Biden’s energy goals.

The roundtable would include leaders in government, education, clean energy research and entrepreneurship, and economic and workforce development.

In his letter, Ryan, a vocal Biden supporter and often surrogate for his presidential campaign after Ryan ended his own White House campaign, pointed out regional agencies such as BRITE Energy Innovators in Warren — Ohio’s only clean tech and energy startup incubator — and Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, and Youngstown State University “that are working closely to fully realize our vision of becoming America’s ‘Voltage Valley.'”

He also noted Youngstown is home to America Makes, the Obama-Biden administration’s first manufacturing innovation and acceleration institute, “which has helped our region whose past was defined by steel mills and auto plants become the center of additive manufacturing and 3-D printing.

“We are leveraging both our traditional and advanced manufacturing strengths, together with our emerging capabilities in clean energy and e-mobility, to revitalize our region, providing well-paying jobs for our citizens, address global energy and environmental concerns, and once again, regain our place as a valued national manufacturing center,” Ryan wrote.

Lordstown, in Ryan’s 13th U.S. Congressional District, is where General Motors and South Korea’s LG Chem are building a $2.3 billion plant to mass produce electric-battery cells that will power several future GM models.

It’s also where Lordstown Motors Corp. has planted its stake in the electric vehicle market as it moves closer toward an anticipated September production launch of its battery-powered pickup, the Endurance, at the former GM assembly plant.

So far, the upstart has received more than 100,000 non-binding reservations for the truck.

An email was sent to the White House seeking comment on Ryan’s request.

Voltage Valley is increasingly becoming the nickname given to the local region because of the investments in and hope and prosperity surrounding the electric-vehicle industry. It’s part of the Valley’s ongoing transformation from its Steel Valley and Rust Belt nicknames — the former due to the region’s once-thriving steel industry and the latter given to conjure images of decaying mills after steelmaking’s demise.

rselak@tribtoday.com