Ulster - Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) recently visited Tech City where the first high-volume, commercial solar panels made by a U.S.-owned company in the eastern United States are now being produced. In March, Solartech Renewables announced its move to Tech City as a result of incentives provided by The Solar Energy Consortium with Hinchey’s support.
"Solartech is the only U.S.-owned company building high volume commercial solar panels in the eastern half of the country," said Hinchey. "They are proving that with the right investments, we can build a domestic solar energy industry that boosts our local economy, creates jobs and provides a source for clean energy. It’s really great how this is all coming together, and I know it’s just the beginning."
In March, Hinchey announced that $600,000 in federal money he secured on behalf of The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC) was being used to help the company relocate to the Tech City location. Today, he highlighted the firm’s rapid success, noting that they have already substantially completed the renovation of their new 25,000 square foot facility.
"The first production line is now in place and as the company ramps up their operations more production lines will be added," said Hinchey. "And as more production lines are added, more local manufacturing jobs will be created."
As the only U.S.-owned commercial solar panel manufacturer in the eastern United States, Solartech aims to capture a 3 to 5 percent market share composed of utilities, large scale industries and independent installers. Solartech expects to use more than 100 employees in the Hudson Valley to meet an initial production capacity of 12 megawatts, or approximately 55,000 solar panels, per year.
In 2007, Hinchey worked to establish TSEC, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, to drive the creation of a solar energy cluster in New York by connecting local universities and companies to help overcome technological, strategic and economic challenges. TSEC was central to bringing Solartech Renewables to Tech City - providing $600,000 to facilitate the company’s move to Tech City. The $600,000 comes from a $2.25 million allocation that Hinchey secured from Congress as part of the fiscal year 2010 budget to help the consortium bring in new solar companies to the Hudson Valley, create jobs and further grow the solar industry in the region.
