A significant economic development opportunity has bypassed California, with defense contractor Saronic Technologies opting to build its $3.2 billion autonomous shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, instead of Solano County. The decision represents a major setback for the California Forever project, a planned new city in the Bay Area backed by billionaires including Laurene Powell Jobs, Michael Moritz, Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen, and the Collison brothers.
The loss of the Port Alpha shipyard is expected to cost California 10,000 permanent jobs and an additional 10,000 construction jobs. Labor leaders, veterans, and housing advocates have directed criticism at California legislators, particularly state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon and Assemblymember Lori Wilson, for what they describe as a failure to act with sufficient speed on special legislation that could have secured the project.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Saronic executives visited Solano County in September 2025 and again in April 2026. During these visits, meetings with key state and local officials, including Cabaldon and members of the Solano County Board of Supervisors, reportedly did not occur. The governor’s office, under Gov. Gavin Newsom, is credited with making a substantial effort to convene regulators and keep the negotiations active after Saronic had considered abandoning the state.
"California had a real opportunity to bring home a $3.2 billion shipyard, 10,000 permanent jobs and thousands of union construction jobs — but state leaders failed to act with the urgency this project demanded," said Joshua Arce, executive director of the California Alliance for Jobs. "While Texas moved quickly and aggressively, California could not provide the clear, expedited approval process needed to compete. This is an enormous loss for Solano County, California workers and our state’s manufacturing economy."
California Forever officials contend that the state possessed a stronger site for the development. A broad coalition of organizations, including the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California, California Conference of Carpenters, California Association of REALTORS, California YIMBY, and the Abundance Network, had advocated for the project. They argue that California's legislative approval process proved too slow to meet the project's demands.
Critics have pointed to a recent social media post from a Facebook page named “I’m From Fairfield Too,” which alleged that Senator Cabaldon had assured local realtors that Saronic would choose Solano County without the need for special legislation or incentives. The post suggested this assurance was incorrect and would lead to negative consequences for the region.
Nestor Aliga, a Marine Corps and Army veteran from Vallejo, described the loss as a critical warning to legislators. While the Saronic deal has fallen through, other companies are reportedly considering bids for shipyard development. "This is a wake-up call for our legislators to act now so our beloved county and state can still get shipbuilding business," Aliga stated, adding that a more collaborative approach is needed to balance opposing concerns with improving quality of life.