In a breakthrough that officials say may someday be touted as the money that turned New York state into a solar powerhouse, the state”™s fiscal 2008-2009 final budget has set aside $6.5 million to help the fledgling Solar Energy Consortium.
“This is good news,” said Vincent Cozzolino, CEO of The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), a year-old public-private partnership seeking to boost solar power development and manufacturing in New York, centered in the Hudson Valley. “We are thrilled by the support we got in such a tough budget year. This is a commitment on New York”™s part that we really are going to develop a solar industry.”
The state money is divided in two segments: $5 million being set aside in a sort of lock box with the key held jointly by TSEC and the Empire State Development Corporation, said Cozzolino, specifically earmarked to attract solar-centric businesses to New York. The other $1.5 million can be used to pay various capital costs connected with TSEC, ranging from purchasing computers to upgrading facilities.
The state money will be added to a federal appropriation secured by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Saugerties. Hinchey helped launch TSEC last year via $4.676 million in federal funds.
“The New York state Legislature has taken another very critical step toward establishing New York as a national and international leader in solar energy research and development,” said Hinchey. “Solar power holds a key to our state’s economic future and our country’s future as a leader in alternative energy development.”
Hinchey lauded the governor and the bi-partisan support the funding received from legislators and noted, “In just the course of one year, TSEC has established itself, partnered with six research universities across the state, signed a manufacturing partner, Prism Solar Technologies (of Stone Ridge), that will create 400 new jobs within the next five years.”
Cozzolino also cited the Precision Flow Technologies of Saugerties, which he said has added an additional 25 jobs to its existing payroll of some 90 employees and which is gearing up for additional products. “That”™s 425 jobs being created that weren”™t here before,” he said. And he said he believes more jobs are all but inevitable, largely due to the proximity to New York City, and the progressive policies on renewable energy being touted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who last week announced an RFP for projects to create 2 giga-watts of renewable energy.
Cozzolino said TSEC officials were in New York City this week meeting with housing officials who are interested in using solar power. “We”™re very well connected to New York City and we think New York City is going to drive the solar power market,” he said.
He said there are two promising possibilities being actively discussed to further increase TSEC”™s roster of businesses and institutions.
