Disappointed, Not Surprised by Gigafactory Decision

The Bay Area Council responds to news reports today that Tesla has chosen Reno, Nevada, to build its battery Gigafactory:

“While we were hoping for California to come out on top, we knew Tesla would make its decision based on factors that contribute to the success of the company,” said Jim Wunderman, CEO of the Bay Area Council. “We continue to believe California can be the central place for Tesla’s growth and think there will be many future opportunities to see that happen.   Specifically, with this decision we recognize the prospects for the development of a robust supply chain between Reno and Tesla’s manufacturing plant in Fremont which can support businesses old and new along that corridor, which includes the Sacramento and San Joaquin regions.

“We appreciate the hard work by Governor Brown’s office to make California a contender, and we will continue to work with the Governor to pursue future opportunities that leverage the state’s many competitive advantages for growing jobs. This can serve as a good learning opportunity for California. We should look very closely at what factors ultimately led to Tesla choosing Reno, and we should determine what we can do better going forward to attract and retain middle class jobs in California.”