Ohio Governor Announces Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Awards for Advanced Energy

June 9, 2009 -- Columbus, OH - Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Ohio Air Quality Development Authority Executive Director Mark Shanahan today announced that a Perrysburg solar panel manufacturer and a clean coal power plant to be built along the Ohio River in Meigs County have been selected to receive the first two funding awards from the $150 million advanced energy portion of the Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan.

“The first two recipients of these funds are great examples of how investing in advanced energy technologies is stimulating Ohio’s economy,” said Strickland. “The impacts of President Obama’s recovery act and our bipartisan state stimulus package are becoming evident – we are creating the jobs of the future in Ohio today.”

The funding, which will be awarded to Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC and AMP-Ohio, was approved by the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA), the state agency responsible for administering the program’s funds.

“These two outstanding projects demonstrate that the Advanced Energy Job Stimulus Program is fulfilling its mission to support cutting-edge projects that are on a fast track toward commercialization,” said Mark Shanahan, executive director of OAQDA and the governor’s energy adviser. “These investments can attract additional investment and will put Ohioans to work in the jobs of the future.”

Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC

Willard & Kelsey will receive a $10 million loan over two years to assist in the planned expansion of its Perrysburg manufacturing facility, which currently employs about 400 workers. Willard & Kelsey manufactures thin-cell photovoltaic solar panels that are distributed around the nation and world. The panels are used in residential and commercial settings to generate electricity. The company currently operates one manufacturing line, but plans to expand to as many as 16 lines, employing more than 3,500 workers. The average annual wage and benefit package for company employees will be approximately $61,000. Total project cost is $1.2 billion.

Willard & Kelsey was formed in 2007 as an outgrowth of Glasstech Solar, which pioneered the development of large area, thin-film cadmium telluride solar modules. Its first manufacturing line began operations in February, and the planned expansion will commence in June 2010 to take advantage of the growing global market for solar panels for use in electricity generation.

“Our company is honored to be one of the first recipients of funds from Ohio’s Advanced Energy Job Stimulus Program. We are extremely pleased that we have the opportunity to help strengthen the economy of northwest Ohio as the area’s traditional strength as a global leader in the glass industry evolves naturally into a leadership role in the solar industry,” said William Mitchell, president and CEO of Willard & Kelsey.

American Municipal Power (AMP-Ohio) Generating Station

AMP-Ohio will receive a $30 million bridge loan to assist in the construction of the 1,000-megawatt American Municipal Power Generating Station in Letart Falls in southern Meigs County. Construction is expected to begin later this year and will employ more than 1,500 workers. An estimated 150 full-time workers will be hired beginning in June 2011, earning an average wage of $31.25 per hour. Another 15 workers will be hired at an associated fertilizer facility. Total project cost is $3.2 billion.

The new plant will use a variety of pollution-control technologies, including the Powerspan ammonia-based scrubber system, which successfully removes the great majority of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, fine particulate matter and mercury produced during combustion. Powerspan also has demonstrated a promising technology for removal of carbon dioxide. Additionally, the technology also yields a highly marketable ammonium sulfate fertilizer byproduct. AMP-Ohio is working with Ohio-based The Andersons on the fertilizer portion of the planned power plant facilities. The Powerspan technology previously received $4.5 million in funding from the Ohio Coal Development Office, a program of OAQDA.

When built, the new plant will help stabilize power costs for nearly 300,000 electricity customers of AMP-Ohio in 69 Ohio communities.

“The bridge loan that Ohio’s Advanced Energy Job Stimulus Program is providing AMP-Ohio assures that we can launch the construction phase of this important project on schedule later this year. We believe the project underscores our commitment to the environmentally sound use of clean coal and advanced energy technologies, as is also affirmed by our hydroelectric projects at existing dams on the Ohio River,” said Jolene Thompson, senior vice president of member services and external affairs for AMP-Ohio.

Ohio’s Advanced Energy Stimulus Program, includes $84 million for non-coal related technology projects and $66 million for clean coal projects. The program is part of the $1.57 billion Ohio Bipartisan Jobs Stimulus Plan signed into law by Governor Strickland in June 2008. More than 215 applications for program funding have been received to date.

Source: Ohio Governor