Tesla has said it needs to make a decision on battery factory location this year in order for it to be completed on time. The Texas legislature doesn't meet again until January 2015, so Tesla wasn't going to be able to use the lure of the gigafactory to encourage Texas legislators to do the right thing and vote in the peoples' interest instead of with the auto dealer cartel.
But now it can!
Tesla Plans at Least Two Battery Sites as Musk Emphasizes Speed - Bloomberg
This is genius-- by picking two sites and starting work on them up to groundbreaking, the final choice of locations will still be in play while the Texas legislature is meeting in early 2015. Say they start work on permitting and engineering on Texas and Nevada sites. If the Texas legislature votes to remove restrictions on who can sell new cars, Tesla will continue developing the Texas site. If not, the Texas site plans get mothballed and work proceeds in Nevada.
But now it can!
Tesla Plans at Least Two Battery Sites as Musk Emphasizes Speed - Bloomberg
This is genius-- by picking two sites and starting work on them up to groundbreaking, the final choice of locations will still be in play while the Texas legislature is meeting in early 2015. Say they start work on permitting and engineering on Texas and Nevada sites. If the Texas legislature votes to remove restrictions on who can sell new cars, Tesla will continue developing the Texas site. If not, the Texas site plans get mothballed and work proceeds in Nevada.