Wednesday, June 24, 2015 | 4:14 p.m.
Tesla Motors’ Reno gigafactory has hired nearly 600 Nevada residents since construction began last year, according a report from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
The lithium-ion battery plant, which is expected to employ 6,500 people and span 5.5 million square feet, received a $1.3 billion tax deal — the largest in Nevada’s history — with the hopes it would spur economic activity in Reno and across the state.
As part of the deal, Tesla is required to fill at least half of its positions with Nevada residents. At the end of the first quarter this year, 78 percent of the 765 people hired for factory construction were Nevadans, according to GOED spokeswoman Jennifer Cooper. By the end of the quarter, 12 permanent employees had been hired..
The report also found Tesla is “making satisfactory progress” toward investment requirements stipulated in the deal.
The electric car company had invested $143.2 million by the end of the year’s first quarter. It is ultimately expected to invest $5 billion.
A September economic analysis by the state predicted the average wage at the factory would be $27.35 per hour.
Mike Kazmierski, president and CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, said the significance of Tesla’s presence in Northern Nevada cannot be overstated. He predicted that it has already accelerated the advanced manufacturing sector in the region by five to 10 years.
“Every indication is that they are on track to meet their goals, and the community is here to support them in any way possible,” Kazmierski said.
One 20-year projection, in a state-commission report released in September, found that Tesla’s operations could generate $1.24 billion to $1.95 billion in new tax revenue and have a total economic impact of between $52.9 billion and $96.9 billion.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy