Energy Collective blog power policy climate - the conversation happens here

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

News From My Backyard: Another Solar Silicon Manufacturer Selects Oregon As Its New Home

Solaicx will open new Portland facility to make silicon wafers for the solar-power industry

[From the Oregonian:]

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Solaicx on Tuesday announced plans for a Portland facility to make silicon wafers for the solar-power industry, a win for Oregon officials eager to promote clean-energy development.

The company, which has leased a 136,000-square-foot facility in the Portland Rivergate District, said the operation would employ 100 by the end of the year.

"We looked at the state of Oregon's generous financial incentives for renewable energy and Portland's deep base of skilled labor in silicon manufacturing, and decided that the port is an ideal place for our continued growth as a company," said Jeff Jones, Solaicx vice president.

State officials applauded Solaicx's announcement, offering it as further evidence Oregon is poised to take advantage of clean-energy technologies.

The state "is on track to become the national leader in renewable energy," Gov. Ted Kulongoski said in a statement.

Just two months ago, Germany's SolarWorld AG said it would invest $400 million in a plant in Hillsboro to set up the nation's largest solar manufacturing facility (see previous post).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think that this plant is a good start for the idea of a technology that can be improved with an excellent promising future. Because if we can use the sun as a source of energy for a cleaner and healthier environment why not use it. And by the way the entire earth will thank to those innovative people. I believe that solar power has big potential and this plant will get profit.