Nevada business leaders say a Legislative special session should be considered to put together a package of lucrative incentives to help close the deal on Tesla Motors building its $5 billion battery factory in the state.
But the odds of a special session are close to zero, Ray Bacon, executive director of the Nevada Manufacturers Association, told KNPR on Tuesday. Any changes or additions would require legislative action, and Nevada’s Legislature won’t convene again until Feb. 2.
Nevada has a head start in the competition for the Tesla battery factory and 6,500-jobs after company officials confirmed they did site work east of Sparks. But will the efforts to attract Tesla to Nevada be sidelined by the $500 million tab, or tax breaks, to help build the factory?
Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive officer, told analysts on a July 31 conference call, that he expects the winning state to cover “maybe 10 percent” of the factory’s cost.
Gov. Brian Sandoval would have to call a special session but he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Tuesday that negotiations with Tesla are continuing, so there is no need to call a special session of the Legislature.
But the electric car manufacturer also continues to evaluate sites in other states, including Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. The company expects to pick the site for the factory in the next few months.
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Ray Bacon, executive directors of the Nevada Manufacturers Association.
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