A bright outlook for solar energy
Oregon lawmakers beam at opening of the state’s largest manufacturer of solar technology
POSTED: 04:00 AM PDT Monday, October 20, 2008
BY TYLER GRAF
On a sunny Friday morning, representatives of silicon-wafer manufacturing company SolarWorld, along with state lawmakers, ushered in what they hope will be the state’s new economic focus.
Germany-based SolarWorld officially opened its 480,000-square-foot Hillsboro facility, which Rep. David Wu, Sen. Ron Wyden and Gov. Ted Kulongoski believe will be the next step in fostering the state’s “green collar” workforce.
Kulongoski said the opening of the new facility, which is expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to the region, was a “testament to the value (the state) puts into renewable energy.”
He touted the state’s Business Energy Tax Credit as a major factor in enticing the company.
Wyden called Kulongoski the “bionic man” for his ability to look toward the future and see that, with energy prices climbing and the economy falling, there was an opportunity for the state to take a leadership role in the renewable energy industry.
“We’re doing a lot more than talking,” Wyden said, speaking of the state’s work toward persuading other energy companies to locate in Oregon. “We’re delivering on the green energy economy.”
The state is attempting to facilitate green growth in other ways. Portland Community College’s Rock Creek campus’ classes in photovoltaic systems – essentially solar energy creation – will help feed a fresh workforce into the state’s newest industry, Wu said.
SolarWorld’s management team, which includes CEO Frank Asbeck and COO Boris Klebensberger, welcomed the new workforce and said the industry is poised to grow exponentially in the coming years.
In 2007, the solar industry nationally marked its best year ever, raking in $20 billion. But those close to the industry say the best is yet to come: In 10 years, the industry’s revenues are expected to triple.
Much of this growth is dependent on how the industry is incentivized, lawmakers said.
The hope is to create better incentives for individual solar use on what’s known as “the front and back end.” This would make it easier for individuals with solar panels to essentially resell excess energy back to the grid.
Currently, solar advocates argue, the federal government doesn’t prioritize private solar energy storage.
“The incentives have been skewed toward oil,” Wyden said. “We’re upending the energy status quo.”
Frank Asbeck, the CEO of SolarWorld, does not see endless tax credits, however. He’d rather eventually place the state on parallel paths with parts of Asia and Europe, which have been investing in solar energy longer than the United States.
SolarWorld, for one, was founded in Germany 30 years ago.
“We have to pursue (solar energy),” Kulongoski said, “because in the end this is the future.”
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