Quallion LLC will receive financial help from the state and the City of Palmdale to build a new lithium ion battery manufacturing plant in the Antelope Valley. Palmdale offered Sylmar-based Quallion more than $10.6 million in incentives, including selling property for the plant for $1, tax incentives and fee waivers. The California Energy Commission will provide up to $9 million in cost sharing provided that Quallion receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The new plant is expected to create 400 jobs and chip away at Asia’s dominance in the lithium ion battery production market. The batteries will be used in cars and heavy trucks. That Quallion chose to locate its plant in Palmdale, speaks volume about the community, said Mayor Jim Ledford. “Palmdale continues to be a City that provides the kind of quality of life that employers seek for their employees and their families-a safe environment, excellent retail shops and restaurants, the finest recreational amenities and activities for people of all ages,” Ledford said. Mark R. Madler
