Stout & Solobay Announce Funding for Local Solar Company

HARRISBURG, July 16, 2009 -- State Sen. J. Barry Stout and Rep. Tim Solobay announced that Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland County has received a $6.5 million low-interest state loan on behalf of Solar Power Industries Inc. (SPI), to help build the first commercial scale solar facility in southwestern Pennsylvania.

“We are so fortunate, with the current economic climate, that we are able to move forward with this project that will create 375 jobs,” said Stout (D- Allegheny/ Beaver/Greene/Washington/ Westmoreland). “We plan on bringing more solar projects to the area, which is key to protecting the environment and growing the economy.”

SPI has been selected to provide 15,000 solar panels as part of a long term partnership with Community Networks, a solar power developer located in Canonsburg. The loan will go towards purchasing $40 million of solar photovoltaic manufacturing equipment to build a 100-megawatt photovoltaic module manufacturing facility in an area that Sony will be vacating in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County.

“Community Networks’ decision to put their commercial solar facility in Washington County shows their commitment to our region. This new facility will create jobs, help to ignite our local economy, and make southwestern Pennsylvania a key player in the development of solar power,” said Solobay (D-Washington).

Construction of the 3.0-megawatt facility will begin this fall. The solar park will generate enough electricity to power 450 homes and eliminate more than 100,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over 30 years of operation. That is the same effect as planting thousands of acres of trees.

Over the next five years, Community Networks plans to bring online a total of 40-megawatts of solar power; enough electricity to power over 5,000 homes.

The state’s Department of Community and Economic Development and Department of Environmental Protection under the direction of the Commonwealth Financing Authority jointly administered the loan under the Solar Energy Program, which provides funding to promote the use of alternative energy throughout the state.

###