Latest Tesla permits show $14.5 million in new gigafactory work

Tesla Motors was approved for more than $14.5 million in new construction at its gigafactory location in the last month, according to the latest permits approved for the site.

Storey County approved more than $14.5 million worth of new projects at the gigafactory site on Tahoe Reno Industrial Center just east of Reno-Sparks.

Permits pulled by the Reno Gazette-Journal in the last month for the $5 billion Tesla battery plant comprise of:

New concrete work approved in late April worth nearly $9.3 million. The contractor for the job is Phoenix-based Suntec Concrete, Inc. The estimated finish date for the project is late October.

A switchyard structural steel project with an estimated cost of $235,000. The project is being done by Reno Iron Works and was approved in mid May. Work on the structure is expected to be done by mid-November.

Fireproofing for the gigafactory's steel. The project was approved in late May and was awarded to contractor Clayton Coating, Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. Fireproofing is expected to cost $5 million and will be finished by late November.

More than 20 projects have been approved for the gigafactory site so far since grading of the location was started last year. The latest report from the Governor's Office of Economic Development showed that Tesla has invested $143.2 million on the project so far. The numbers only track investments through March and does not include investments made since April.

The factory is expected to start making batteries by next year, with Japanese partner Panasonic announcing that it will send "hundreds" of employees to the site by fall to help prep for production. In addition to making battery packs for Tesla's electric cars, the gigafactory will also produce products for the company's Tesla Energy line of storage batteries. Tesla already has an agreement with SolarCity to include its batteries to the solar power system installer's product lineup. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also part of SolarCity's executive team.

Tesla already hired its first 12 non-construction staff for the gigafactory earlier this year and has about 30 job openings posted on its site for the battery plant.

Reporter Jason Hidalgo covers the Tesla gigafactory and all things economic development for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @jasonhidalgo