Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016 | 3:46 p.m.
CARSON CITY — Tesla is making great strides in building its battery plant east of Sparks, but at least two state legislators expressed concerns that the pace is slower than expected.
The Legislature, at the request of Gov. Brian Sandoval, approved $1.3 billion in tax breaks for the company if it completes the $11.5 billion plant.
Assemblywoman Irene Bustamante Adams, D-Las Vegas, said Tesla fell far short of initial projects of 1,700 workers by July 2016.
Steve Hill, head of the Governor’s Agency of Economic Development, said Tesla had 350 employees by that benchmark and now has 850. The company plans to hire 3,200 workers by March 2018. So far, Tesla has received $35.5 million in tax credits, he said.
Assemblyman Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, said this “is not as rosy as we hoped for, but it is doing very good.” Hansen suggested the company conduct more frequent audits so the Legislature can assess the progress.
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