October 22: Kaptur Backs Solar Technology Bill, Seeing New Opportunities for Northern Ohio
October 22, 2009
“This legislation plays to one of our economic strengths as a region,” said Congresswoman Kaptur, who backed the bill after her amendment to the underlying bill was accepted on the House floor. "We are one of three leading solar centers in the hemisphere. Solar power is so much a part of our economic future.
“As solar energy continues to emerge as an engine for jobs and economic growth locally, this legislation will make the federal government a stronger, more reliable partner.”
The bill instructs the Secretary of Energy to form a committee to write a “roadmap” for short-term and long-term solar technology research and development, much like the successful model that was developed in the semiconductor industry in the 1980s. The roadmap committee would be charged with making solar technology more dependable, available and environmentally responsible.
The bill also provides more than $2 billion for new research partnerships and up to 15 major demonstration projects for solar energy technology. Congresswoman Kaptur noted that Northern Ohio has emerged as a national leader in solar technology, thanks to the Universityof Toledoenergy incubator and successful operations by major solar players such as First Solar, Willard & Kelsey, Xunlight, and Advanced Distributed Generation
The Kaptur Amendment directs the roadmap committee to consider domestic commercialization opportunities, technology transfer, and manufacturing. “We have to ensure that this important initiative is focused on job creation in Americaand keeping our competitive advantage in the world market,” she said. “We cannot sit back while China, Germany and Spain try to take the lead.”
The Kaptur Amendment also specifies that the committee should consider existing solar “clusters” such as Toledo in identifying a national strategy.
The legislation creates a coordinated research and development program for solar technology through public-private partnerships. “We have seen in this area the benefit of public-private partnerships through the Universityof Toledoand various spinoff companies,” Kaptur said.
Please click on the video below to watch the Congresswoman's floor speech on this topic.