Cheap power can be magnet for industries

In the economic development game, states constantly add to their portfolios of incentives to try to find a competitive advantage.

But if the comparative advantage is something that has been around for at least half a century, that’ll work too.

Moses Lake in Eastern Washington has a comparative advantage in electricity that’s cheap and plentiful.

With that electricity, Moses Lake has just landed a $100 million plant that will make carbon fibers for new cars.

German automaker BMW and composites producer SGL Group are the ones fronting the project. BMW/SGL also are taking advantage of available developable land, some tax incentives and training programs and a streamlined permitting process to get to groundbreaking as soon as June.

But electricity was the key factor that brought the consortium to Moses Lake, instead of Japan (where the raw material for the fiber is made), or Germany, where the fiber will be woven into fabric and then made into car parts and components.

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/11/1143588/cheap-power-can-be-magnet-for.html#ixzz0knt2yajx

***

Space is now available at iConnect Montana’s new 47,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art data center facility in Billings, Montana. 1030 Central features the highest industry standards for operating efficiencies, cost controls, security and reliability. http://www.matr.net/click.php?id=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iconnectmontana.com%2F