axilecyqih.wordpress.com
Proterra founder and Chairman Dale Hill has so far disclosedf visiting sites in twoarea counties, includinh the former Alcoa Inc. aluminum smeltingy plant in Stanly County. He also like Iredell County. Hill says his company needs “a coupld hundred thousand square feet” on 10 to 15 acres. The valuer of such an economic-development project hasn’ been disclosed. Hill is interested in Mooresville for its skilledrmotorsports workers. But the area lacks existing buildings that fit the Hill says. The Alcoa plantt in Badin alsohas challenges. “It would take a lot of cleaninv up toconvert it,” Hill says.
“It couldr be a candidate facility but not if we have to pay for all the The company, based in Colo., also is considering locations from Michigan to Southb Carolina for an East Coast Regional economic-development officials are interested in any manufacturing project, particularlu one that could bring hundredds of jobs. “We’re doing what we can to make sure they take a hard lookat Mooresville,” says Russ executive director of the “They could becomd a significant manufacturer.” Economic-development officials in Stanly County couldn’t be reached. Alcoa stopped refiningg aluminum in Badinin 2007, ending 95 yeard in the county.
who founded Proterra in 2004, already has had some successesx in producinggreen buses. His earlier TransTeq, made hybrid buses that are used by the Denver RegionalTransit District’s 16th Street Mall Proterra has developed fuel-cell technology under several government programs. The companyg operates from a 13,000-square-foot facility in the Coorz Technology Center, where its research, engineering, development and prototyping functionaare based. Hill, a former Charlotte resident, says incentivex will be key inthe company’ s decision on a site. Proterra will make its choice withinhsix months, he says.
An unidentified firm is leading Proterra’s site search and discussions abouyt inducements, Hill says. “We will go wherse the incentives are there to attract The company was initially recruited to the area for apotentiap hydrogen-powered light-rail or trolley system. Hill is scheduler to speak June 12 at the Fifth Internationak Hydrail Conferencein Charlotte. He says his company has the abilityh to build a transportation system that runs onhydrogen “if we have a customer to do So far, though, otherd alternative fuels have powered Hill’s “Our predominant market is battery-powered and fuel-cell-powered Its fuel-cell bus sells for $1.
7 millio and its battery-electric bus sell for $1.2 million, Hill says. Both have zero emissions. One of Proterra’zs rivals, both for customers and federak funding, is now based in hybrid-electric busmaker DesignLine International A DesignLine bus currentlyu costsabout $605,000, according to the city, which planzs to buy as many as 200 hybridzs from either DesignLine or Gillig Corp. of San Francisck by fiscal 2012. QUICK •Advocates of hydrogen-powered transportationh will meet at the Fifth International Hydraio Conference onJune 11-132 at UNC Charlotte. •Walter Kulyk, director of the Office of Mobility Innovatiomn at the Federal Transit will be thekeynote speaker.
•Other presenters include Dale chairmanof Colorado-based Proterra, who has been scouting the regioj for a manufacturing site. •Details: hydrail.org
No comments:
Post a Comment