Ray Moses of Hartland based RGM Livestock walks through a large lot of land he leases for a part of the year in Howell on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, where he raises some of his black angus beef cows that graze on the grass before moving the animals to another location. Moses sees one of the main issues dealing with the urban sprawl taking over land developers have purchased that was once available for sale to use for farming.
Solano, County California – California Forever, the controversial venture backed by Silicon Valley billionaires to construct a new city from scratch in Solano County, is once again expanding its vision—this time with a 2,100-acre industrial project aimed at revitalizing American manufacturing. Dubbed the “Solano Foundry,” the proposed site would serve as a hub for companies working in robotics, defense, energy, aerospace, and advanced transportation. The company claims the project could generate at least 40,000 jobs, including 35,000 in manufacturing alone.
The announcement comes just months after California Forever floated plans to build a shipbuilding facility near Collinsville, a small town at the edge of the Sacramento River. That proposal aligned with a federal push to restore domestic shipbuilding capacity. The Foundry now seeks to support that initiative with adjacent industrial infrastructure. Together, these moves suggest a strategy not just to build a city, but to position it as a national center for production and innovation.
While the proposal echoes federal and state rhetoric about the need to rebuild domestic industry and the middle class, it has also reignited local concerns. Critics question the necessity—and the wisdom—of constructing an entirely new municipality to accommodate industrial growth. They point out that many cities in California already have underused industrial zones that could support the same kinds of projects without transforming thousands of acres of farmland into urban sprawl.
Though the Foundry is being marketed as a critical response to national economic decline and global outsourcing, it is also an unmistakable escalation of California Forever’s ambitions. What began as a quiet land-buying campaign in 2017 has grown into a sweeping attempt to reimagine how and where Californians live and work. A white paper released by the company and commercial real estate firm JLL outlines a vision that includes homes for 175,000 residents, supply chain infrastructure, and training programs—all housed within the future city’s borders.
But despite claims of corporate interest and economic impact, there is no formal development agreement, and most of the support remains nonbinding. Previous efforts to secure approval through a voter initiative were abandoned earlier this year. Now, California Forever is pursuing a slower path through standard county planning processes, while continuing to generate media attention with bold announcements.
The state’s political climate remains a complicating factor. California’s strict environmental laws are often cited as barriers to large-scale industrial development, though recent budget negotiations indicate a growing willingness among lawmakers to carve out exceptions for projects like this one.
