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President Barack Obama
recently announced an award of $2.3 billion in tax credits for clean energy
manufacturing across the United States. The awards, part of the Recovery Act
Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits, will go to 183 projects in 43 states
and create tens of thousands of clean energy jobs and the domestic
manufacturing of advanced clean energy technologies including solar, wind and
efficiency and energy management technologies.
The tax credits are focused on putting Americans back to work by building a
robust domestic manufacturing capacity to supply clean and renewable energy
projects with American-made parts and equipment. These credits are also an
important step towards meeting President Obama's goal of doubling the amount of
renewable energy the country uses in the next three years with wind turbines
and solar panels built in the United States.
"Building a robust clean energy sector is how we will create the jobs of
the future," said President Obama. He noted that the awards "will
help close the clean energy gap that has grown between America and other
nations while creating good jobs, reducing our carbon emissions and increasing
our energy security."
This award, along with other Recovery Act Investments, will drive significant
growth in the renewable energy and clean technology manufacturing sectors and
give the United States the ability to lead globally in these markets. The
investment tax credits, worth up to thirty percent of each planned project,
will leverage private capital for a total investment of nearly $7.7 billion in
high-tech manufacturing in the United States.
Among the clean technologies included in the awards is Itron, Incorporated's
Open Way CENTRON meter [a device for measuring electrical consumption], one of
the first smart meters for the residential market that will give customers more
choice and enable utilities to provide higher reliability at lower cost.
W.L. Gore and Associates is producing an advanced membrane for high efficiency
fuel cells for buildings and vehicles. PPG Industries, Inc. will produce a
double anti-reflective coating for glass to make solar cells more efficient.
The company will also produce a special tire tread component that reduces
rolling resistance and improves fuel economy.
TPI Composites, Inc. is building a new manufacturing facility in Nebraska to produce the next generation wind turbine blades.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said, "The world urgently needs to move toward clean energy technologies, and the United States has the opportunity to lead in this new industrial revolution."
