Giga life 1

Nevada fought hard for the privilege of being the site of the first Tesla "gigafactory." Eventually they won the competition, offering Tesla a quick turnaround on construction permits and the biggest tax abatement package in the state's history, to the tune of $1.3 billion.

The project moved fast, with operations starting even before it was finished. In fact, five years into construction and half a mile long, it's still not finished. Huge as it is, it will more than double its size in the future. Over 7,000 people are employed there now. 

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It was a big gulp for northern Nevada and there have been problems. About three times per month there's a health/safety incident. OSHA inspectors made 90 visits during the factory's first three years. On average, in 2018 a 911 call was made every day. Local emergency services were beefed up.

Local housing was not adequate. Some employees live in RV's parked at the Walmart or in tents. Elon Musk says this housing shortage is their biggest constraint on growth. They might build some sort of housing compound for employees.

from usatoday

(cont'd tomorrow)