American companies from the solar energy industry will receive funds totaling almost $2 billion, said President Barack Obama, quoted by BBC. One of the companies, Abenoga Solar, has already announced plans to build the world’s largest solar plant in Arizona. It will provide the energy for about 70,000 households.
The money promised by Obama will come from government stimulus funds designed to boost the economy during the recession. According to the president, about 5,000 new jobs will be created due to these investments.
The Solana project at Gila Bend near Phoenix, Abenoga, would have an area of 768 hectares and a capacity of 280 megawatts. Only here about 1,500 new jobs will be created during the plant’s construction and another 100 jobs for maintenance.
“These are just two of the many clean energy investments in the Recovery Act. Already, I’ve seen the payoff from these investments. I’ve seen once-shuttered factories humming with new workers who are building solar panels and wind turbines; rolling up their sleeves to help America win the race for the clean energy economy,” Obama said after announcing these awards during his speech in Washington, DC, last Friday.
The U.S. President had promised during his election campaign for the White House that he would support the renewables sector and will invest in the “green” jobs. America is already competing with China at this chapter.
[Source: BBC News]
