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INTERVIEW: Garibaldi (GGI: TSX-V) discusses surface sampling which recently returned high-grade silver up to 8,000 g/t Ag + high-grade gold up to 52.6 g/t Au

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:56 PM on Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

WHY GARIBALDI RESOURCES CORP?

  • $1.7 million in working capital as per latest financials (Apr 30)
  • Attractive share structure
  • no warrants, no major financings since 2009
  • Drilling in progress – strong news flow from Mexico and B.C.

Hub On AGORACOM / Corporate Profile / Watch Interview!

CLIENT FEATURE: Garibaldi (GGI: TSX-V) Surface sampling recently returned high-grade silver up to 8,000 g/t Ag + high-grade gold up to 52.6 g/t Au

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:02 AM on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

WHY GARIBALDI RESOURCES CORP?

  • $1.7 million in working capital as per latest financials (Apr 30)
  • Attractive share structure
  • no warrants, no major financings since 2009
  • Drilling in progress – strong news flow from Mexico and B.C.

LEADERSHIP. MOVING FORWARD. BUILDING VALUE.

  • Synergistic mix of business, market & geological expertise
  • Drilling underway at La Patilla Gold Property (high-grade targets) plus multiple drill-ready targets at 3 district-scale projects in Mexico
  • Largest landholder (262km2) among juniors in Sheslay Cu – Au porphyry discovery area at top of B.C’s Golden Triangle

GARIBALDI APPROACH AND ADVANTAGE IN MEXICO

 

Through the strength of its geological team and the use of cutting- edge technology and proprietary data, Garibaldi has built a foundation for lasting success in Mexico:

  • GGI continues to accurately pinpoint the most prospective targets for potential new discoveries in large, district-scale land packages
  • Project value is being cost-effectively unlocked
  • Financial strength is being built (i.e., sale of Temoris option, current Tonichi pilot coal program generating royalty income)

La Patilla Project

  • First-ever diamond drilling at the La Patilla gold property in Sinaloa state has returned highly encouraging gold values near-surface, including an interval grading 10.4 grams per tonne gold over 8.5
  • Five of six holes drilled to test the La Patilla vein system intersected broad zones of mineralization along 75 metres of strike length to depths of approximately 50 metres

Rodadero North Project

  • Drilling along almost 100 meters of strike length has returned significant high-grade silver intersections within 50 meters of surface, and mineralization remains open in all directions;
  • SE-14-03 intersected 1,935 g/t Ag (62.2 oz/t) between 4 and 5 meters’ depth while the most recent hole (SE-14-06) – the farthest step-out from previously reported discovery hole SE-14-01 – has produced the widest mineralized intercept to date;
  • Surface sampling at three target areas immediately southeast and east of Silver Eagle has returned high-grade silver (up to 8,000 g/t Ag) in addition to high-grade gold (up to 52.6 g/t Au) as explained further in this update;
  • As Garibaldi commences a second round of drilling at Silver Eagle, the total number of mineralized target areas within the 45 sq. km Rodadero North Project has increased from eight to 11.
  • Phase 2 diamond drilling continues, surface sampling results from mineralized outcrops indicate continued high silver values in addition to a significant increase in base metal content (up to 14.9% lead and 1.8% zinc) 1.5 km to 3 km south of discovery hole SE-14-01.

NORTHWEST B.C. – DOMINANT LANDHOLDER IN EMERGING SHESLAY CAMP


  • Successful exploration methods developed in Mexico are now being adopted to rapidly advance the company’s 100%-owned Grizzly Property
  • Multiple targets are being identified over 15 km from Grizzly West to Grizzly Central
  • GGI is the largest landholder among juniors in this highly prospective, under-exploited new Cu-Au porphyry discovery area in prolific Stikine Arch
  • Recently announced that it has acquired two highly prospective Cu-Au porphyry properties within the Stikine Arch

Red Lion

  • The Red Lion prospect, comprising 35 sq. km, is located 60 km south of AuRico Gold’s Kemess mine and adjoins the Kiska Metals’ Kliyul Cu-Au porphyry project under option to Teck Resources Ltd. The Red Lion shows extremely strong Cu-Au stream sediment geochemistry in both Government Regional Geochemical Survey responses and follow-up proprietary surveys. Access and infrastructure at Red Lion are excellent with the powerline to the Kemess South mine only three km away.

Mount Sister Mary (MSM)

  • The MSM prospect, comprising 58 sq. km, is located approximately 50 km northeast of Imperial Metals’ Red Chris mine and is underlain by similar Triassic and Jurassic volcanic and plutonic rocks. Government Regional Geochemical Survey responses confirm prior assessment work in which at least eight Cu-Ag-Au showings have been documented on the property.

12 Month Stock Chart


 

INTERVIEW: Uragold Bay Resources Goes “Beyond The Press Release” to Discuss Recent Acquisition

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:14 PM on Thursday, September 18th, 2014

UBR: TSX-V

Bernard Tourillon, Chairman, CEO and Director of Uragold Bay Resources goes “Beyond The Press Release” to discuss Letter Of Intent Regarding the Acquisition of 32 Claims Covering the Section of the 6.5 KM Long Historical Beauce Paleoplacer Gold Channel not Owned by Uragold.

Hub On AGORACOM / Corporate Profile / Watch Interview!

INTERVIEW: AGORACOM Sector Spotlight – $2.4B Medical Marijuana Industry

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:25 PM on Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

Welcome to Sector Spotlight a production of AGORACOM in which we talk to CEOs and executives of companies in which we believe to be notable sectors so that you can potentially profit from them.

Today we’ll be discussing Medical Marijuana. Joining us is AGORACOM Chief Market Commentator Allan Barry Laboucan and Chris Bunka, CEO & President and Chairman of the board of Lexaria Corp.

Hub On AGORACOM / Corporate Profile / Watch Interview Now!

Start your small cap medical marijuana research in the AGORACOM Small Cap 
Medical Marijuana Stocks Gateway: 
http://agoracom.com/portal/Small%20Cap%20Medical%20Marijuana%20Stocks

Neah Power’s BuzzBar Suite(R) Launch Empowers African Classrooms

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:00 AM on Tuesday, September 16th, 2014

Indiegogo Campaign Demonstrates Power to “Go Anywhere. Take Charge.”

BOTHELL, WA, Sep 16, 2014 — Neah Power Systems Inc. (OTCBB: NPWZ) (‘Neah’), an innovator and supplier of cutting-edge power solutions for the military, transportation and portable electronics industries, is proud to launch their Indiegogo campaign for its BuzzBar Suite and a partnership to bring computing power to rural African classrooms using the recently released BuzzBar(R) Suite of products. The BuzzBar(R) is a new groundbreaking product that enables off-the-grid recharging of mobile consumer electronics using solar, grid, or proprietary fuel cell technology. If you frequently travel or go “off-grid” for any length of time, you will need a power source for your critical electronics. The BuzzBar Suite provides a simple power solution for anyone who needs “power to go.” This BuzzBar Suite can also be a life-saving product in an emergency.

Neah is partnering with the Asante Africa Foundation, a not-for-profit 503(c) corporation deploying tablet computers into remote African classrooms through their “Classroom in a Box” program, which will provide rich teaching material and expose children to content they would otherwise not have access to. Schools in remote villages are far from the grid and therefore require alternative power solutions. For every 25 BuzzBar Suite units sold, Neah Power will donate one BuzzBar Suite to Asante Africa Foundation.

“We believe there is a strong demand for a simple device that can enable people to go farther and travel longer with their vital electronics. There is nothing quite like the BuzzBar Suite,” said Dr. Chris D’Couto, CEO of Neah Power Systems. “We are eager to showcase the product’s power and are excited to bring the potential of Indiegogo(R) to this effort. Partnering with Asante Africa Foundation allows us to do good and further a very worthy cause.”

“We are pleased to partner with Neah Power Systems to deploy these products and enable a 21st Century learning experience to the children in Africa,” said Erna Grasz, CEO of Asante Africa Foundation. Be sure to visit http://igg.me/at/buzzbar to learn more about Neah Power’s campaign and how they are contributing to the Asante Africa Foundation. More information about Asante Africa Foundation’s Technology in the Classroom initiatives can be found at http://www.asanteafrica.org/technology/.

Different perks reap different acknowledgment gifts. For example, a donation of $40 will provide the benefactor with a t-shirt, and a donation will be made to Asante Africa Foundation. A donation of $149 will provide you with the BuzzBar(TM) Suite: a BuzzBar, a BuzzSol and a BuzzBat. Other perks provide other product combinations. The BuzzCell is expected to ship in Q4 2014. Visit the campaign on Indiegogo for a complete list of the perks offered.

About Neah Power Systems

Neah Power Systems, Inc. is an innovator and supplier of cutting-edge power solutions for the military, transportation and portable electronics industries. Neah Power’s long-lasting, efficient, and safe solutions include patented and patent pending PowerChip and the BuzzBar family of products. Neah Power was a 2012 ZINO Green Finalist, 2010 WTIA Finalist, and 2010 Best of What’s New Popular Science Award.

About Asante Africa Foundation Asante Africa Foundation believes in the power of knowledge as the catalyst that will empower the next generation of change agents. We provide African youth in deeply rural areas of East Africa with access to high quality education and the tools to apply their knowledge beyond the classroom, creating opportunities to transform Africa and the world. Asante Africa Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization with global headquarters in the U.S.A. To learn more or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit us at www.asanteafrica.org or email [email protected].

Forward Looking Statements Certain of the statements contained herein may be, within the meaning of the federal securities laws, “forward-looking statements,” which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update any of these statements in the future. Please read Neah Power System’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013 and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC during fiscal 2014 for a discussion of such risks, uncertainties and other factors.

SOURCE: Neah Power Systems, Inc.

AGORACOM Small Cap TV “Best Of The Best” Stock Picks Of The Week Ended – September 14, 2014

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:04 AM on Monday, September 15th, 2014

AGORACOM Founder, George Tsiolis and Chief Market Commentator, Allan Barry Go Via Satellite to discuss and debate Allan’s Best picks this week. Companies Included on this week’s show are:

WHY IS JULY 11, 2013 SO IMPORTANT?

Allan and George have already put their viewers well ahead of the game by starting their weekly broadcasts on July 11, 2013 on the thesis that great small-cap companies were so oversold they could not be ignored. One look at the TSX Venture Index proves they hit the nail on the head … but that doesn’t come close to telling the whole story with most of their picks far outperforming an index bloated with zombie companies.

THEN THEY DID IT AGAIN AT TAX LOSS SELLING SEASON

When the first run from July 11 ran its course, small cap investors made the mistake of thinking small caps had run their course.  George and Allan knew better and they geared up for run #2, airing this special episode on December 18 where they each made their top 6 picks for the next 45 days ending January 31st … the results were again outstanding:

Find out which companies Allan and George like this week by watching the video below!

Want to catch up on previous shows?

Weekly “Best Of The Best” Summarizing The Best Picks From Our Daily Shows. Posted Every Friday Afternoon Watch Here

THIS WEEK’S SHOW SPONSORED BY THE FOLLOWING GREAT SMALL CAP COMPANY:


CLIENT FEATURE: (UBR: TSX-V) Leader in High Purity Quartz Exploration in Quebec

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:55 AM on Thursday, September 11th, 2014

Why Uragold Bay Resources?

  • High Purity Silica (HPS) and Silicon Metal key strategic minerals with applications in high-tech industries that include semiconductors, LCD displays, fused quartz tubing, microelectronics, solar silicon applications and recently, Silicon Anode Lithium Batteries

Uragolds business model focuses on developing low-risk, low-cost gold mining operations while exploring on core properties that hold the potential of discovering world class gold deposits. The Company’s properties are located in Canada in the Appalachian region of the province of Quebec. The properties benefit from extensive historical exploration work and from well-established infrastructure thereby helping to reduce exploration risks.


What are High Purity Quartz and Silicon Metal?

High Purity Quartz

  • High Purity Quartz (HPQ) has a purity level in excess of 99.997% and is extremely rare.
  • Used in the semiconductor industry to produce crucibles and quartz glass products, such as windows, rods, and tubes [Source].
  • Also used in the production of silicon metal, which is the base for the semiconductor wafers, made using the Czochralski Process[Source].

  • High purity quartz deposits with low impurities are rare, world supplies are tightening and HPS prices are rising [Source ].

  • Demand for HPQ is growing with the high tech industry and the price for premium HPQ can vary between US$ 8,000 to US$ 25,000 or more per ton depending on the specifications needed for the final application [Source ].

Metallurgical Silicon Metal

  • Metallurgical Silicon Metal has a purity of 98.5% or higher and is used as an alloying agent in the aluminum industry due to its ability to increase the strength of aluminum [Source].

  • Adding Silicon Metal to aluminum alloys makes them strong and light [Source].

  • As a result they are increasingly used in the automotive industry to replace heavier cast iron components [Source].

  • Allows weight reductions and a reduction in fuel consumption [Source].

  • Demand for aluminium has increased 5% CAGR over the past 20 years [Source].

  • It has also been reported that the solar industry will have it’s first global panel shortage since 2006 [Source].

  • It has become one of today’s key strategic minerals with applications in high-tech industries that include semiconductors, LCD displays, fused quartz tubing, microelectronics, solar silicon applications and recently, Silicon Anode Lithium Batteries

  • Silicon Metal with 98.50% SiO2 purity sells for about US$ 3,200 per ton (or US$ 1.45 US a pound) [Source].

Martinville, Malvina and the Montpetit Quarry Silica Properties

Company announced that it’s wholly owned subsidiary, Quebec Quartz, has initiated a work program and is starting the evaluation process of its Martinville, Malvina and the Montpetit Quarry Silica properties.

Fieldwork will first start on the Martinville property where a Historical Resource of 1,000,000 tons was declared and where samples of up to 99% SiO2 were found and then continue to the Malvina property where sample as high as 99.74% SiO2 were reported. Historical records indicate that the samples were taken from quartz vein systems described as clear white quartz with limited fracturing. Both properties are located approximately 40 km south east of Sherbrooke in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

The Montpetit Quarry is located in Hemmingford Quebec, 70 km south of Montreal. Historical records indicate the silica mined in the 1950s from the quarry was used for ferro-silica production. In 1956, 3,000 tons of sandstone quartzite was analyzed and the average result for SiO2 was 99.27% indicating that the silica from this property could be suitable for silicon metal production. The silica is described as originating from very pure quartzite sandstone from the Cairnside geological formation

Developing Quebec’s First Placer Gold Mine

Beauce Placer Gold Project is located in the municipality of Saint-Simon-les-Mines in the Beauce region of southern Quebec. The project has all the required environmental permits to start its operations, and is in the final stage for obtaining a 20 year mining lease for a placer gold mining operation. It will be Quebec’s first placer mine in 50 years.

The Company declared inferred resource of 23,000 oz. AU (741,000 m3 @ 0.97 g Au/ m3) on the Rang Chaussegros section. The importance of the nugget effect on the project potential is such that gold recovery could be between 23,000 (741,000 m3 @ 0.97 g Au/ m3) and 140 000 ounces (741,000 m3 @ 5.9 g Au/ m3), as per data derived from the historical mining figures.;

Developing an open pit gold mine in the Beauce

In April 2014, Uragold singed a definitive option agreement with Golden Hope Mines (“GNH”) concerning the advancement of the Bellechasse-Timmins (BT) Gold Deposit into a producing mine.

In August 2012, GNH published a resource estimate of an indicated resource of 313,900 ounces gold (2.9 million tonnes grading 3.36 g/t Au) and an inferred resource of 102,000 ounces gold (2.17 million tonnes grading 1.46 g/t Au) using a cut-off grade of 0.60 g/t. Furthermore, GNH’s many bulk-sampling campaigns revealed extensive areas of surface mineralization averaging approximately 3 g/t Au. Notable were sampled areas averaging up to 10 g/t Au (Trench 09A).

The Beauce Placer property and the Golden Hope Mines’ Bellechasse-Timmins (BT) Gold Deposit (which are both ‘nuggety’ type deposits) are located within Magog Group sediments. It should be noted that the Beauce gold project has a thick till in contrast to the Bellechasse-Timmins (BT) Gold Deposit where most of the till has been eroded away and exposed the outcrops. This suggests that both the Beauce and the Bellechasse/ Timmins deposits are genetically related – the Beauce being a placer deposit derived from an unknown Bellechasse/ Timmins type deposit.

Under the terms of the Option Agreement, Uragold will be responsible for obtaining all required permits, approvals, and documentation associated with going into production, in return for a 30% interest in the property. Uragold will then have 120 days to obtain project financing, which, if successful, will earn it a further 20% interest, giving Uragold a 50% interest in the B-T deposit. The companies will then form a Joint Venture (JV) for the operation of the mine, with Uragold serving as operator. GNH will have a carried interest into production, and will receive a 50% Net Proceeds Royalty (“NPR”) on the gold produced.

  • 38,000 meters drilled, 2010 to 2012
  • Gold Recovery:
    • Gravity separation up to 92%
    • Total gold (gravity + cyanidation) 99%
  • Less than 1% Bellechase-Belt explored
  • Located in the municipality of Saint-Magloire, in the Beauce region of Quebec
  • 1 ½ hour drive south of Quebec City
  • 3 ½ hours from Montreal
  • Accessible year round on all paved roads, close to urban infrastructures

Moe River Gold Property

The Moe River Property is located in the southwestern part of the Quebec Appalachians in the Eastern Townships region of the Province of Quebec.

The gold bearing gravels of the Moe river valley has attracted prospectors since the 1900. Between 1958 and 1962, Tamara Mining Limited worked in the Moe River area, under the direction of G. A. Blair, P.Eng. Blair defined a historical resource based on the volume of gravels in the terraces along the river. He concluded that there were between 45 to 48 million cubic yards of material in all of the terraces containing a total of 400,000 ounces of placer gold.

12 Month Stock Chart

INTERVIEW: Neah Power Systems – Q&A Session Vol. 4 – Sept. 10, 2014

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:09 PM on Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

Welcome to Q&A, a production of AGORACOM in which we ask shareholders to provide questions which will be answered directly by management. With us today is Dr. Chris D’Couto President of Neah Power Systems.

Neah Power Systems is a developer of fuel cell power solutions using proprietary, award winning technology for the military, transportation, and portable electronic devices.

$50M+ Invested into Neah Power Systems

  • Intel Corporation, Novellus Systems, Four Tier 1 VCs, US Navy, NIST/ATP
  • award winning technology (Popular Science, MIT)

Neah Power continues its aggressive efforts to commercialize proprietary and patented fuel cell technology. The Powerchipâ„¢ product and the Buzzbarrâ„¢ (CONSUMER) micro fuel cells have the potential to revolutionize the energy storage marketplace.

Hub On AGORACOM / Corporate Website / Watch Interview Now!

FEATURE: Xylitol (XYL:TSX-V) Natural Sweetener Co with $6.5M in 2013 Revenue

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:54 AM on Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

XYL: TSX-V

Financial Highlights

  • Revenues for its second quarter ended June 30, 2014 of approximately $2.0 Million, representing an increase of 43% over the same period from the preceding year.
  • For the three months ended March 31, 2014, sales increased by 97% to $2,170,624, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2013;
  • For the three months ended March 31, 2014, gross profit increased by 33% to $498,665, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2013.
  • For the twelve months ended December 31, 2013, sales increased by 87% to $6,508,998, compared to $3,473,053 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012.
  • For the three months ended December 31, 2013, sales increased by 194% to $2,555,526, compared to $868,134 for the three months ended December 31, 2012

Marquee Customers Include:

Strong Institutional Ownership

  • Dundee Corp 29%
  • SunOpta BioProcess Inc. 26%

What is Xylitol you ask?

  • Xylitol is a sugar alcohol – and no, that doesn’t mean there’s alcohol in it. It’s also known as a polyol. Sugar alcohols contain fewer calories and fewer carbohydrates than other sweeteners. Replacing sugar with xylitol can be helpful if you’re trying to lose weight or even to help prevent weight gain.

What does xylitol taste like?

  • Xylitol is a white crystalline granule that looks and tastes like sugar. The good news is that it doesn’t have the negative side effects associated with sugar. Xylitol is low-calorie, low-carb, diabetic safe and we think it’s guilt free!

Where does your xylitol come from?

  • Xyla brand xylitol is extracted from North American grown hardwood trees, and it’s delicious. We believe the practices employed in the harvesting and processing of our xylitol are ecologically sustainable. Xylitol is also naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables. Did you know the human body makes about 15 grams of xylitol per day?

Xylitol Canada, Inc. emerged in 2004 as a reseller and distributor of Xylitol and Xylitol products. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company continued to grow and develop additional brands under the names Sweet Diabetic Delight and Xylitol Canada. Realizing the market potential for high quality, readily available, and consistently priced Xylitol and Xylitol products, the Company broadened its strategic vision in 2009.

Realizing that the void in the Xylitol market was based on inadequate supply and lack of awareness, the company initiated a 2-tier business expansion plan that sought to solve both of these problems. With the vision of a full scale North American Xylitol production facility as a critical element of this strategy, the Company reached out to the Capital markets and formally went public in April of 2010. With the capital base to aggressively address the marketplace, the company immediately began executing its business plan.

Xylitol In The Media

balancing your blood sugar on CTV Canada with Andrea donsky from naturally savvy

balancing your blood sugar with xylitol on breakfast television

Fed Up By Katie Couric: Katie Couric explains how junk food is high jacking our brains

Daytime Toronto: Dr. natasha turner explains the benefits of xyla xylitol

MACLEAN’S: Death By Sugar: How the sweet killer is fuelling the biggest health crisis of our time

12 Month Stock Chart

Tesla’s Reno ‘Giga-Factory’ choice steps company toward mass produced EV

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:38 AM on Friday, September 5th, 2014

Proposed 10k-sq-ft facility projected to be running by 2017 for Model 3 launch.

September 4, 2014
by By JUSTIN PRITCHARD and SCOTT SONNER, Associated Press


14-sept-tesla-giga-factory-reno-625

RENO, Nev. — To bring electric cars to the masses, Tesla Motors will transform an expanse of desert where pioneers passed on their way to the California Gold Rush and wild mustangs still roam the hillside.

This time, the rush will be in Nevada, which Tesla chose over four other states as the site for a $5 billion factory that the carmaker projects will crank out enough high-tech car batteries to power 500,000 vehicles annually by decade’s end.

Nevada’s elected leaders still must deliver on the economic incentives they’ve promised, but if they do as expected, Tesla will open its massive factory at an industrial park outside Reno, according to a person familiar with Tesla’s plans. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made. An announcement was scheduled for Thursday afternoon at Nevada’s Capitol.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, acknowledged Thursday at his Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas that Tesla was coming to Nevada, and said he had spoken with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval about it.

A state synonymous with gambling hit the jobs jackpot — Tesla has said the factory will employ about 6,500 people. That’s a welcome jolt for a tourism-based economy particularly hard hit during the Great Recession.

Tesla’s choice of Nevada over California, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico takes it a big step closer to mass producing an electric car that costs around $35,000 and can go 200 miles on a single charge. That range is critical because it lets people take most daily trips without recharging, a major barrier to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

The “gigafactory,” as Tesla calls the project, would bring the cost of batteries down by producing them on a huge scale. Its approximately 10 million square feet, equivalent to about 174 football fields, would be running by 2017. That is when Tesla hopes to introduce its Model 3,

At present, demand for electric vehicles is small.

Through August, automakers have sold just over 40,000 fully electric cars this year, up 35 per cent from a year ago, according to the auto website Edmunds.com. Factoring in plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles still account for just 3.6 per cent of all new car sales, a slight drop from last year. Still, government fuel economy standards that will require new cars and trucks to average 54.5 miles per gallon are expected to drive sales.

Gov. Sandoval’s office wouldn’t comment Wednesday on the gigafactory news, saying only that he would make a “major economic development announcement” Thursday. A spokesman for Tesla Motors Inc., based in Palo Alto, California, said company representatives would be at the Capitol in Carson City for the announcement but offered no other details.

Sandoval has declined to discuss incentives he has offered Tesla. Based on CEO Elon Musk’s public statements, the incentives likely total at least $500 million. The governor would have to call a special session of the Legislature to approve tax breaks, grants or other incentives of that magnitude.

This spring, Musk announced that the company would take the unusual step of spending millions to prepare sites in two states _ or perhaps even three _ before choosing a winner. The person familiar with Tesla’s plans told The Associated Press a second site still will be prepared, in case Nevada is unable to deliver the incentives it has promised, or possibly to build a second factory.

Tesla has done excavation and other site-preparation work at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, where it plans to build the factory, but had not publicly committed to building in Nevada until it tested what economic incentives other states offered. The centre is about 15 miles east of Sparks, a Reno suburb founded as a railroad town more than a century ago.

Aside from low tax rates and business-friendly workplace laws, Nevada offered plenty of sun and wind to generate “green” power. The industrial park is only about 200 miles along Interstate 80 from Tesla’s lone auto assembly plant in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s also near a deposit of lithium, an essential element to produce the battery cells.

Reid said that ready supply was an important part of Nevada’s bid, and pointed to a $28.4 million Department of Energy grant in 2010 for a lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide plant in Silver Creek, Nevada.

Competition for the factory has been intense among the states, which bid up their incentive packages in private negotiations with Tesla.

In California, where Tesla has its headquarters and manufacturing plant, the decision to build in the state next door stung.

“Tesla was using their business savviness to get states to compete against one another,” said state Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, a principal proponent of the project. “It’s just that I felt California had the inside track given our history of working in partnership with Tesla.”

___

Associated Press writers Ken Ritter in Las Vegas, Juliet Williams in Sacramento, California, and AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.design-engineering.com/general/teslas-reno-giga-factory-choice-steps-company-toward-mass-produced-ev-132260