The Tesla Impact

Have you been following the Tesla move to northern Nevada? Despite all the claims in much of the press, Tesla is not building any kind of factory in Reno. They are building a lithium battery factory in Storey County, and the state is giving them many bucks and incentives to do this. They have enough juice that they were able to get USA Parkway extended from the Storey/Lyon County line to Highway 50, something that even Wal-Mart didn’t have enough juice to accomplish.

This plant will have a serious and mostly positive impact on Northern Nevada’s economy from many angles with an anticipated work force numbering in the thousands. Side benefits are a large lithium mine in north central Nevada, something I’ve wanted to be able to discuss for some time.

Too many people are touting the electric vehicle as something that will help eliminate much of the carbon dioxide that pollutes the air and contributes to climate change, if that really exists. Ask yourself where the electricity is created that will be used to charge all those batteries every single day of the year? Power plants across the country still depend on good old filthy coal, and some use polluting oil, and others natural gas, all producing tons of carbon dioxide.

The electric car, if they become very successful will probably lead to cleaner air in areas where most pollution comes from transportation, like large cities without vast amounts of public transportation, but they will cause an increase in the use of electricity, thus pollution.

With my wry sense of humor, while nibbling water crackers and anchovies, sipping a decidedly dry martini, by way of Bombay, or is that Mumbai, I can picture several young people on a campus somewhere just discovering that the lithium for those batteries will be mined in a huge open pit.

Oh, the curse of it all. Chin up, the wagon driver was equally angered at good old Henry Ford.

Until next time, read good books and stay regular.