Panasonic Battery Plant

[BG918]

You’re right. I apologize for misreading BoulderSooner: I was taking PB’s post to refer to proportion of college graduates rather than absolute numbers and applied only that context to BS’s post. I did that because most debates of this type focus on proportion of college graduates rather than absolute number.

Anyway, my point (opinion) stands that the number of college graduates will not be a determining factor whether we get the Panasonic plant over Kansas.

How many people with a college degree are building batteries? Honest question.

I think it comes down to three things: 1) the incentive deal from each state, 2) access to labor and 3) the proposed site, and water/utilities associated with it. Not sure how Kansas could top what Mid-America has with their GRDA connection for water and power rates.

[king183]

How many people with a college degree are building batteries? Honest question.

I think it comes down to three things: 1) the incentive deal from each state, 2) access to labor and 3) the proposed site, and water/utilities associated with it. Not sure how Kansas could top what Mid-America has with their GRDA connection for water and power rates.

From my understanding of the issue, after speaking with those knowledgeable, the people building the batteries—and the vast majority of the employed workforce—will not be (need to be) college graduates. They will be skilled laborers with a high school/technical school education. The engineers will, of course, have them, but I suspect many of those will be imported from out of state.

I think your three factors for what will determine who gets the plant are spot on.

[progressiveboy]

its for RareEarth, will be in Stillwater. Good for Oklahoma, but seems like Governor Stitt is a proponent of bringing more business to Tulsa, OSU, and Stillwater.

Perhaps the OKC Chamber of Commerce along with the mayor of OKC can step up to the plate and recruit companies to OKC area. I do know sometimes for incentives it must go through the State of Oklahoma. Is the OKC Chamber of Commerce very proactive in luring companies?

[progressiveboy]

Here is a link regarding Kansas which includes college degree. According this this link below, Kansas has 43.1% college educated people. Even higher than I previous saw via Google. Overall Kansas is ranked #23 in education.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas

[Swake]

Here is a link regarding Kansas which includes college degree. According this this link below, Kansas has 43.1% college educated people. Even higher than I previous saw via Google. Overall Kansas is ranked #23 in education.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas

I would trust the census more than a listicle.

Kansas 33.9% vs Oklahoma 26.1%

Kansas statistically as a state is very skewed because it's largest metro area has its core city in another state. Kansas has just under half the population of the KC Metro and has most of the wealthy suburbs while Missouri gets the relatively poorer core city and the more middle class suburbs. Makes Kansas look much better than it really is.

[G.Walker]

It depends on how you look at it. Rural Oklahoma pulls down those numbers for Oklahoma. There is a higher percentage of people with college degrees in the Oklahoma City & Tulsa metro areas. With the plant possibly being located near Tulsa, I don't think finding educated employees is the issue.

[mugofbeer]

Maybe l missed something specific to this plant but except for limited positions, what need is there for a college degree to manufacture battaries? I would think all of the design and engineering is done elsewhere?

[gopokes88]

There isn't. Just the same handful of posters being relentlessly negative due to their bias'

[Bunty]

its for RareEarth, will be in Stillwater. Good for Oklahoma, but seems like Governor Stitt is a proponent of bringing more business to Tulsa, OSU, and Stillwater.

But a manufacturing concern that is only expected to hire 100 workers is no big deal. Surely long gone are the days when Stillwater could attract manufacturing that ultimately employed over 1000 people.

[jccouger]

Looks like Kansas was chosen

[Pete]

Panasonic to build EV battery plant for Tesla in U.S. state of Kansas

[Plutonic Panda]

Of course

[HangryHippo]

lol. Top 10!

[Midtowner]

With the state of education in Oklahoma, why would anyone locate a business here when there are 48 higher ranking states?

[Plutonic Panda]

With the state of education in Oklahoma, why would anyone locate a business here when there are 48 higher ranking states?

You’re not wrong. But it still hurts to see Kansas get this over Oklahoma but then I’m biased being from OKC. This just sucks all the way around.

[Pete]

It's pretty discouraging that one big company chooses the state to your immediate south (Tesla/Texas) and then another that wants to be close by skips over you and goes to a state immediately north (Panasonic/Kansas).

If nothing else, it sends a strong signal that Oklahoma is not competitive and we need to make serious changes.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Yikes. What a miss.

[Jake]

Landing Panasonic would have been huge for the state and transformational for the city of Tulsa so I'm not surprised in the slightest that the state absolutely blew it.

[Pete]

This is a very good time to study the reasons why we keep getting passed over.

Everyone has opinions, but it would be nice to talk directly to the decision-makers at Panasonic and find out why they preferred Kansas. This should not be led by the governor or his cronies. I'd like to see a bi-partisan group established so we can find out the real truth, whatever it may be.


We were never going to get Tesla, but this is different and we need to learn from it.

[Jake]

This is a very good time to study the reasons why we keep getting passed over.

Everyone has opinions, but it would be nice to talk directly to the decision-makers at Panasonic and find out why they preferred Kansas. This should happen and not be led by the governor or one of his cronies. I'd like to see a bi-partisan group established so we can find out the real truth, whatever it may be.


We were never going to get Tesla, but this is different and we need to learn from it.

Especially when it has been noted that the location Oklahoma offered was situated really well and was an ideal place for such a plant. If that still can't get you this project then obviously there's something terribly wrong (I think most of us know what.)

[Pete]

Especially when it has been noted that the location Oklahoma offered was situated really well and was an ideal place for such a plant. If that still can't get you this project then obviously there's something terribly wrong (I think most of us know what.)

Panasonic specifically stated they wanted to be near the new Texas Telsa facility.

And yet they skipped us and opted for someplace farther away. Alarm bells are ringing.

[king183]

Panasonic specifically stated they wanted to be near the new Texas Telsa facility.

And yet they skipped us and opted for someplace farther away. Alarm bells are ringing.

I’m worried the alarm bells are on silent for those who need to hear them most. The last few months has not been a good display of competence from Oklahoma government.

[FighttheGoodFight]

If only we put Panasonic on the Tulsa driller!

[BG918]

I hope losing Panasonic will mean that a lot of incumbent state legislators get voted out in Nov., including Gov. Stitt. They are NOT doing a good job of leading the state. Interesting that a former legislator, Cal Hobson, wrote in the July Observer, "And as I have said for months, Panasonic ain't coming and most folks wish Canoo wouldn't."

Not going to happen, they will all be reelected and nothing will change. Too many stupid people in this state, it makes the educated ones question whether they should move somewhere else.

[shartel_ave]

Not going to happen, they will all be reelected and nothing will change. Too many stupid people in this state, it makes the educated ones question whether they should move somewhere else.

I love OKC and the state of Oklahoma along with the people that live here and very happy that I moved here but I do not like the state government but I could say that about the federal government and most other state governments.

I'm no fan of democrats or republicans both sides are funded by massive corporate money.

More attention needs to be focused on overturning citizens united.