January, 2010
Jean Lasee, MAOM
I have some great news to report about the Arizona solar industry-- it is definitely
building momentum! On January 27th, I attended the Arizona Solar Manufacturing
Symposium, corrdinated by Az4Solar, an organization whose mission is to "promote
development of a solar economy that will create thousands of sustainable high-wage
jobs in Arizona." Check this group out at www.az4solar.org.
Manufacturing Gets a Major Push
The highlight of the day was the announcement by Suntech, a chinese-based company.
They selected a local site in which to build a new PV manufacturing factory that will
start producing 30 MW of solar panels each year. Goodyear, part of the Phoenix
metropolitan area, is the lucky city to receive Suntech's thumbs up. The announcement
included words from the state's governor, Jan Brewer and Phoenix's mayor, Phil Gordon,
who both expressed their thanks in welcoming the company to "the neghborhood."
Congratulations also went to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council for working hard
on bringing green jobs to the state.
I had the pleasure of talking with Senator Barbara Leff, who was the impetus behind
SB1403. This legislation, passed in the first half of 2009, provides tax incentives
for renewable energy manufacturing, as well as research and development. It was
gratifying to have a disucssion with an articulate politician who wants to move the
state forward in green business. Kristin Mayes, Chairman of the Arizona Corporation
Commission and another hard-working policy-maker, was given praise for creating
state-wide policy to encourage development of renewable energy projects.
Vigilance for the Future
From an organizational change perspective, I noticed how much collaboration
was needed by both business and government in creating these successful
outcomes. Interestingly, several warnings came from individuals in both government
and industry that there are those who want to roll back this progress. We as citizens
and industry experts need to keep the state moving forward toward a stronger economic
future.
Quality Information Resource
Finally, I met Scott Clavenna, President of GreenTech Media. Started in 2007,
GreenTech provides informative content on the solar and smart grip industries, as
well as enterprise-level green technology issues. Given the rate at which change is
happening in these industries, it is a great place to stay current. Check this group out
at http://www.greentechmedia.com/.
Talk to you later.
Jean
© 2010
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