That’s just the real world and we live in it. That’s a way that the “haves” can have more and that those of us pushing to grow our economies and leapfrog other states would be put at a competitive disadvantage. You don’t want your competitive offer shared with other states. Beshear: It would not fly in Kentucky, and I am not for it. Three states that I’m aware of - Illinois, New York and Florida - are looking at banning non-disclosure agreements in economic development deals. Our commitment is no government bureaucracy is ever going to slow down one of these projects. The principals have my cell phone number, so when we run into challenges, we can address them. We bring our permitting people to the table before someone even commits to come to Kentucky to lay out what it takes and to develop a direct line of communication. That’s to ensure that our promise of speed to market is one we deliver on. Beshear: I monitor our megaprojects weekly. How closely do you monitor projects in your state’s corporate recruitment pipeline? At what point do you pitch in as needed? Is it only the megaprojects? All seemingly want to be as close as possible here in Kentucky. Our phone is ringing off the hook from suppliers in some part of that life cycle, because there’s both the suppliers and what goes into the batteries and the recyclers. Site Selection: Do you anticipate a steady stream of EV battery investments as we continue to transition to electric vehicles? The interview has been condensed for clarity and brevity. Beshear touted Kentucky as an aggressive corporate recruiter and business-friendly partner for major investment, especially amid major transformations in energy and logistics. South Korea’s Envision AESC in mid-April announced a $2 billion EV battery investment in Bowling Green.ĭuring a half-hour interview, Gov. “Between Ford and the Envision plant,” Beshear told me on April 18, “we will have more gigawatt-hours than any other state in terms of production of EV batteries.”įord’s $5.8 billion electric battery plant, announced in September 2021 and targeted for 2025, represents the biggest economic development project in Commonwealth history. With a tandem of recent mega wins in the EV mobility sweepstakes, the first-term governor has declared Kentucky to be “the undisputed electric battery production capital of the United States of America.” Big statement, that.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |