Mar 11 2010
Assemblyman Kevin Cahill joined with Congressman Maurice Hinchey, NYSERDA President Francis Murray, and CEO of the Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC) Vincent Cozzolino to announce that solar module manufacturer, Solartech Renewables, LLC will open a new manufacturing facility at TechCity.
The company will create 100 jobs immediately and will likely expand to 300 employees over the next five years.
Assemblyman Cahill worked with the Empire State Development Corporation, NYSERDA and the Governor’s office to secure over $5 million in state incentives, which when combined with the efforts of TSEC, made the move to TechCity possible. “TechCity is quickly becoming the place to be for clean energy companies,” said Assemblyman Cahill.
Dan Wieneke, President, TechCity Properties, said, “TechCity is very pleased to have the encouragement and support for our growth from Assemblyman Cahill, Congressman Hinchey, TSEC, NYSERDA, the Empire State Development Corporation and Ulster County. Welcoming a new tenant like Solartech Renewables strengthens our cluster concept of attracting green, sustainable companies that will benefit from their proximity to one another at TechCity.”
Assemblyman Cahill said, “Ulster County has the highest level of solar installed per capita in New York State. The market for solar power in the Northeast has been expanding at an amazing 40% per year, but most of the economic benefits have gone to foreign owned companies. With Solartech, I saw an opportunity to capitalize on that growth right here at home.”
Solartech Renewables will receive over $5 million in benefits from the Empire State Development Corporation and NYSERDA, $2 million of which will come from a fund Assemblyman Cahill secured in the state budget for the purpose of bringing solar industries to the Hudson Valley. TSEC will provide an additional $600,000 from the federal government.
Solartech Renewables will produce silicon solar panels utilizing 15,000 square feet of manufacturing floor space with the capacity for around-the-clock operations. Within the year, the company will hire over 100 employees to meet an initial production capacity of 12 megawatts, approximately 55,000 solar panels a year.
Solartech, which will be the only American owned solar panel manufacturer in the eastern U.S., is targeting a market share in the Northeast of 3-5% of utility, large scale industrial and independent producers.