Kingsport Tn Dcs

Solar Energy continues to provide investments in the Southeast ...

Solar energy is fast becoming an economic driver in a location that may surprise some people: the Southeast. The most recent developments include two  thin film solar cell manufacturing facilities to be located in Mississippi and South Carolina, the beginning of construction of a silicon solar cell manufacturing facility in Tennessee, and the announcement of a solar farm to be installed at a former landfill in Georgia. All of these investments could bring around 5,000 jobs to the southeast by 2013.

The growth of solar manufacturing in the Southeast has been accompanied by rapid growth in the solar installation industry. Reports from TVA’s Generation Partners Program reveal that since the program’s start in 2003, the number of solar installers in the TVA service area has gone from just a handful to over 40 currently. This growth will be further supported by the recent announcement in Georgia of a 1-megawatt solar farm to be installed on a landfill in DeKalb County near Atlanta. The 48-acre Hickory Ridge landfill is located near the Hartsfiled-Jackson International Airport and once completed, it will be the largest producer of solar power in the state of Georgia.

This kind of growth in solar manufacturing and installation is substantial considering the current economic state, but it only scratches the surface of what may be possible. Newly elected Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam must keep the growth of solar industries a priority in his administration just as he did as mayor of Knoxville with his support of the  Knoxville’s Solar America City program. Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi must support both manufacturing and installation of solar technologies as much for the economic benefits as for the environmental benefits.

In these wavering economic times, it’s exciting to see rapid growth in solar manufacturing and installation in the Southeast.The jobs created by these investments will help thousands of people in the Southeast enjoy a better life while providing the products that will move us beyond coal and towards a brighter future. It’s a good start to 2011, and we look forward to more good news as the year progresses.

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