Lake Katrine - Assemblyman Kevin Cahill (D-Ulster, Dutchess), Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee, joined with Congressman Maurice Hinchey, NYSERDA President Francis Murray and CEO of the Solar Energy Consortium Vincent Cozzolino to announce that solar module manufacturer, Solartech Renewables, LLC will open a new state of the art facility at Tech City. The company will create 100 new jobs immediately and will likely expand to 300 employees over the next 5 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 Congressman Hinchey's efforts through TSEC, made the move to Tech City possible.
"Landing Solartech Renewables is a big win for the region and an important step in our efforts to create a new energy economy here in New York," said Assemblyman Cahill. "Tech City is quickly becoming the place to be for clean energy companies. Solartech Renewables is the latest of what promises to be a long string of successes contributing the resurgence of Tech City as an economic driver in the Hudson Valley."
"Ulster County has the highest amount 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. That is why I worked to coordinate an effort with The Solar Energy Consortium to quickly secure the State dollars that will get Solartech up and running within the year," said Assemblymember Cahill. "The Governor, Congressman Hinchey, the leadership at the Empire State Development Corporation and NYSERDA all stepped up the plate to help us deliver the resources needed to bring this company home."
"Today is a good day for New York and especially the Hudson Valley region. Solartech 's decision to establish its manufacturing plant here in Kingston is another step forward in building New York's clean energy economy of the future," said Frank Murray, Chair and CEO of NYSERDA. "The public-private partnership that we celebrate today is exactly the formula we need to create good jobs, attract new clean tech businesses and bolster the emerging innovation economy here in the Hudson Valley. NYSERDA is proud to play a role in Solartech's early stages, and we look forward to its great success in the future."
Assemblyman Cahill worked with Congressman Hinchey's office and The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC) to attract the company to the region. Solartech Renewables will receive over $5 million in benefits from the Empire State Development Corporation and NYSERDA, $2 million of which will come from funding Assemblyman Cahill secured in the State Budget specifically for the purposes of bringing solar industries to the Hudson Valley. TSEC will provide an additional $600,000 in federal funding secured through Congressman Hinchey.
"Solartech Renewables' path to Tech City was paved by Assemblyman Kevin Cahill's strong leadership. TSEC and I relied heavily on our Assemblyman and his staff to put together all the resources of New York State, such as NYSERDA and ESDC, as well as his personal leadership in developing New York's energy plan which, in the end, convinced this high tech solar module company to locate here and create over a hundred jobs," said Vincent Cozzolino, CEO of The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC).
Solartech Renewables' state-of-the art manufacturing facility will be commissioned in the Tech City complex. The company will produce both standard and improved polycrystalline 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. Additional modular expansion of the manufacturing line is planned through 2012.
Solartech, which will be the only American owned solar panel manufacturer in the Eastern United States, is targeting a market share in Northeast US of 3%-5% of utility, large scale industrial and independent producers for majority of plant capacity. They will also supply smaller commercial and residential customers. The expedited construction of their facility will enable them to take advantage of a solar market that is projected to grow 40% per year.
"As the market develops in New York State for large scale solar projects, Solartech Renewables and its local suppliers in the New York solar cluster will train and develop a world class clean energy workforce here in New York," said Todd Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Solartech. "I appreciate the elected officials who worked tirelessly to stimulate local economies and repatriate the intellectual property development and job creation opportunities that are currently lost overseas when solar panels and other solar products are imported to meet New York's clean energy power generation needs."
Dan Wieneke, President, TechCity Properties, said, "TechCity is very pleased to have the encouragement and support for our growth from Assembly Member Cahill, Congressman Hinchey, The Solar Energy Consortium, 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 Tech City." He added, "We look forward to a long term relationship with Solartech Renewables."
"Solartech Renewables is an exciting addition to Ulster County's burgeoning solar cluster. Its unique proprietary configuration hardware will initially use proven polycrystalline manufacturing processes. But the firm has a forward-looking strategy for seamless conversion of its production to accommodate emerging solar technologies. UCDC welcomes Solartech to Ulster County," said Lance Matteson, President of Ulster County Development Corporation.
"We have great opportunity here in the Hudson Valley to establish the region as the leader in solar. We have the resources, infrastructure, workforce and market to make it happen," said Assemblyman Cahill. "I have been working hard to provide the funding and to create policies that will firmly establish us as the hub for the solar industry for decades to come."
Since becoming Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee in 2008, Assemblyman Cahill has advanced several budget initiatives and passed legislation designed to foster the development of the solar industry. In addition to securing the $5 million Hudson Valley Solar Fund, he also championed a $2 million appropriation to establish solar workforce training centers at Community Colleges and BOCES throughout the State. SUNY Ulster and Ulster BOCES received a bulk of that funding. He also helped steer $1.5 million in State funds directly to TSEC.
Last year, Assemblyman Cahill passed legislation creating the most comprehensive energy planning process in the country. He has also been instrumental in the expansion of net-metering, the creation of the groundbreaking Green Jobs Green New York Program and the authorization of Municipal Sustainable Energy Loan Programs across the state.