by jboullion | Jan 25, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Jake Miller in the Wausau Daily Herald:
A California-based energy company is interested in building a manufacturing plant in the Wausau area, adding about 600 jobs in a part of the economy that was especially hit hard by the recession.
W Solar Group, which will move its headquarters to Dane County this year, has narrowed its search for where to build its plant to several Wisconsin cities. A company spokesman said Wausau has several factors that make it appealing.
“It’s a very good spot as it relates to a supply chain, geography, transportation,” said Evan Zeppos, spokesman for W Solar Group. “It has a well-known reputation for having a good work force, and it’s certainly very high on the quality-of-life scale.”
W Solar has not finalized where it will build the manufacturing plant, and Zeppos declined to provide a list of cities Wausau is up against. Local officials, however, said Eau Claire is Wausau’s biggest competition.
W Solar, founded in 2009 in Chatsworth, Calif., has an efficient technology that lets it produce solar panels on a large scale at a lower cost than its competitors.
If W Solar ultimately selects the Wausau area, the jobs could provide a huge boost to Marathon County’s manufacturing sector, which has lost about 2,500 of its 17,700 jobs since December 2007, according to state data.
by jboullion | Jan 11, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article in the La Crosse Tribune:
La Crosse County will receive $128,000 in rebates for energy-efficient portions of the new 140,000-square-foot center addition. Projects such as this solar water heating system are expected to save the county more than $65,000 a year in energy costs.
by jboullion | Jan 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Judy Newman in The Capital Times:
W Solar Group, a privately owned company with technology for manufacturing solar panels, said it will move to Wisconsin and set up its corporate headquarters and a separate research and development center in Dane County. No specific locations were given in the announcement Thursday by Gov. Jim Doyle’s office.
The state Department of Commerce will provide up to $28 million in enterprise zone tax credits for the Chatsworth, Calif., company, which says it plans to invest more than $300 million in facilities in Wisconsin and create more than 600 jobs by 2015.
“W Solar Group was attracted to Wisconsin early in our search for a project location,” said Chris Hamrin, president and chief executive officer. “We are impressed with the high-quality work force, extensive supply chain and the commitment to producing world-class products.”
Established in 2009, W Solar has fewer than 20 employees, and all are involved in research and development, company spokesman Evan Zeppos said.
Plans call for opening the headquarters and research and development operations in the first half of 2011 and starting manufacturing in 2012.
Hamrin said the company is still considering sites for the headquarters, research and development center and manufacturing plant. A search online produced a location for the company in Wausau. Zeppos said Wausau is “one of several possibilities for manufacturing.” He said the bulk of the company’s jobs will be in production.
by jboullion | Jan 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Judy Newman in The Capital Times:
W Solar Group, a privately owned company with technology for manufacturing solar panels, said it will move to Wisconsin and set up its corporate headquarters and a separate research and development center in Dane County. No specific locations were given in the announcement Thursday by Gov. Jim Doyle’s office.
The state Department of Commerce will provide up to $28 million in enterprise zone tax credits for the Chatsworth, Calif., company, which says it plans to invest more than $300 million in facilities in Wisconsin and create more than 600 jobs by 2015.
“W Solar Group was attracted to Wisconsin early in our search for a project location,” said Chris Hamrin, president and chief executive officer. “We are impressed with the high-quality work force, extensive supply chain and the commitment to producing world-class products.”
Established in 2009, W Solar has fewer than 20 employees, and all are involved in research and development, company spokesman Evan Zeppos said.
Plans call for opening the headquarters and research and development operations in the first half of 2011 and starting manufacturing in 2012.
by jboullion | Dec 17, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article in Renewable Energy World:
Washington, D.C. — In typical fashion, the U.S. Congress passed a suite of last-minute tax laws last night, including an extension of the Treasury Grant Program (TGP) for renewable energy project developers.
Trade groups in Washington have been pushing hard for an extension of the program, which provides a cash payment of up to 30% of equipment costs in place of the Investment Tax Credit. The grant program was responsible for a large portion of the renewable energy projects built throughout the U.S. in 2010. Originally passed as part of the 2009 stimulus package, the TGP was supposed to expire at the end of December.
Because there are still a limited number of financial institutions able to finance projects by taking advantage of tax credits, the TGP has opened up new sources of capital for project developers. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the grant program spurred over 1,100 solar projects and $18 billion dollars of investment in 2010.
“This program has successfully created thousands of jobs and opportunity in all 50 states for construction workers, electricians, plumbers, contractors that have struggled in this harsh economic climate,” said SEIA President Rhone Resch in a statement.
While the wind industry saw a significant drop in installations compared to 2009, the grant program helped keep thousands of MW on the table for 2010 and 2011. American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode projected a loss of tens of thousands of wind jobs in 2011 without an extension of the TGP.
