Bay Area Council Convenes Legislators for Tesla Factory Tour
The Bay Area Council’s 21st Century Infrastructure Task Force today (Aug. 8) convened a group of state legislators and California Energy Commission Chairman Robert Weisenmiller for an exclusive tour of the Tesla Motors factory. Located in Fremont, the 5.5 million-square-foot plant employs over 4,000 workers, supports many other jobs in surrounding communities and produces what is arguably one of the most technically advanced automobiles in the world. The tour was conducted to highlight the importance of building 21st century energy infrastructure to support the growth of innovative clean technology companies like Tesla.
Of course, no tour of Tesla would be complete without some discussion of where the company plans to locate its proposed gigafactory and California’s chances for landing the coveted facility. This $5 billion factory is expected to create at least 6,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. California is competing with several other states to house the battery factory. The discussion centered on California regulatory hurdles that would make it difficult for Tesla to find the right location and meets its aggressive timeline for constructing the new battery plant. Since this past spring, the Council has been advocating for Legislative leaders and the Governor’s office to put California in the game in competing for the Tesla plant.
The legislators who joined the tour included: Senator Tom Berryhill (R-Modesto), Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), Senator William “Bill” Monning (D-Carmel), Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville), Assemblyman Richard Gordon (D-Menlo Park); Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced), Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), and Assemblyman Kevin Mullen (D-Daly City).
The Bay Area Council’s 21st Century Infrastructure Initiative Task Force is led by Co-Chairs Tony Earley Jr., Chairman, CEO and President of PG&E Corp., and Ken McNeely, President, AT&T California. To engage in the Bay Area Council’s work in establishing a 21st Century Infrastructure, contact Michael Cunningham and to engage in state government relations contact Cornelious Burke.
