Oklahoma’s hopes of landing a Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant were dashed a second time by the huge conglomerate.
After Panasonic picked a site in eastern Kansas over Oklahoma for a $4 billion EV battery plant, the firm said it would still explore another such plant in Oklahoma.
But on Tuesday, Panasonic made it clear it had decided against a factory in Oklahoma.
“After careful deliberations, we have made the decision not to move forward with developing the site,” said the company in a statement provided to News on 6 in Tulsa.
Panasonic had been considered a possible site at the MidAmerica Industrial Park at Pryor. It had entered into an agreement with Oklahoma in April of this year to explore building a factory in Oklakhkoma “with the understanding that we would make a decision about whether or not to move forward at the end of that exploratory process.”
In the statement, Panasonic leaders explained decisions where to position new facilities are extraordinarily complex and ased on a wide range of factors. They expressed appreciation for the conversations they had with state officials.
“This decision will not impact our operations in Nevada or Kansas; we have made a long-term commitment to investing in and advancing the EV industry in the United States, and we remain focused on delivering the highest quality batteries for our customers,” concluded the leaders in the company statement.
The announcement left Gov. Kevin Stitt disappointed but obviously not surprised.
“Panasonic had already chosen to go to Kansas last year. We would have been thrilled had both parties been able to sign an agreement earlier to expand here to Oklahoma when market conditions were stronger, but hopefully we can find another opportunity to partner with them in the future,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said reported News on 6.
The legislature had approved nearly $700 million for an economic plan to lure new businesses to the state.
House Speaker Charles McCall reacted by noting that Oklahoma remains open for business and he’s excited about the economic development advancement in the state. He referred to Enel’s ongoing construction of a manufacturing plant where 1,500 jobs will be created.
“This session I will again push for more improvements to our tax structure to make us number one in the country for our citizens and businesses, which will help attract the jobs of the future,” said the speaker.