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NEWS ARTICLE: The sun is starting to shine
on Oregon's solar industry; Solaicx opening could signal
a state solar revolution
By Matthew Kish
November 26, 2007 Monday
Four days after Solaicx opened the doors on a solar
manufacturing facility, insiders say more solar manufacturers
could soon call Oregon home.
"Oregon is going to be one of, if not the, key
manufacturing location in the United States for solar,"
said Bob Ford, CEO of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Solaicx.
Solaicx, which makes the ingots and wafers used to
make solar panels, has hired 40 local employees at the
new Portland plant. It expects to hire 20 more in the
next two months. The Portland plant could eventually
employ 200.
"Portland had the best overall conditions,"
Ford said. "Easily the most important part of sighting
in Portland was around skill sets [of workers]."
Solar manufacturing requires highly trained workers,
which are in ample supply in Oregon thanks to the state's
robust semiconductor industry.
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http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2007/11/26/story9.html
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