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The Livermore City Council is set to hold a public hearing at Monday’s regular meeting regarding the development of a proposed fusion research facility as well as an accompanying economic incentive package for the applicant.
Proposed by private company Pacific Fusion, the project would involve constructing and operating an approximately 225,500-square-foot building to test and demonstrate the commercial viability of fusion power as a source of clean energy.
The project would be built on approximately 14-acres along Jack London Boulevard, west of the Oaks Business Park, according to the staff report prepared by Livermore assistant planner Emily LaDue.
But Pacific Fusion has not yet officially selected Livermore as the location for its facility as the company has also been considering the city of Alameda.
Prior to the scheduled council meeting, Pacific Fusion held a town hall in Livermore June 26 to introduce the public to its proposed development.
Following the town hall, the Livermore Planning Commission unanimously recommended during their Aug. 12 meeting that the council approve the project.
The facility is expected to create and retain skilled jobs and catalyze an advanced manufacturing and research and development hub, according to the staff report. It is also expected to expand the city’s long-term tax base while promoting local and statewide objectives for clean electricity and climate resilience.
As the city of Livermore competes with other jurisdictions to attract the Pacific Fusion project, staff recommend that council make moves to boost Livermore’s competitiveness. The recommended economic incentives program framework includes waiving, deferring, or rebating certain fees and taxes, according to the staff report.
“Pacific Fusion’s venture capital funding is tied to achieving technical milestones and key performance metrics,” the staff report states. “Achieving these metrics require significant capital investment and the high cost of doing business in California compared to other locations under consideration could potentially limit resources needed to meet these technical milestones.”
According to the staff report, Pacific Fusion has expressed that cost savings on business operations would benefit the company’s mid-to-long term viability as well as the city’s competitiveness.
The project requires approval of a planned development industrial zoning amendment, vesting tentative tract map amendment/subdivision, site plan design review, conditional use permit and associated environmental review, according to the staff report.
The Livermore City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Monday (Sept. 8). The full agenda is available here.
In other business:
The council is set to consider a resolution appointing Kimberly D. Cilley as city attorney and approving Cilley’s employment contract. If approved, Cilley’s employment would begin Sept. 29.
On Aug. 22, long-time city attorney Jason Alcala retired from the post. For the roughly one month that the position is empty, an acting city attorney is in place.
“To ensure continuity of the city’s legal operations, an acting city attorney should be appointed to perform the duties of the city attorney until a new city attorney takes office,” according to a staff report prepared by Livermore law office supervisor Andrea Franzel.
As part of the consent calendar — consisting of items considered routine and acted upon by the council with a single action — the council is poised to approve a resolution appointing senior assistant attorney Tara Mazzanti as the acting city attorney, retroactive to Aug. 23. Mazzanti will remain in the role until the new permanent city attorney takes office or city council rescinds the appointment.
