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Green energy tax credits mean hundreds of jobs in Ohio

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By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer Updated 1:04 AM Tuesday, January 19, 2010

DAYTON — Ohio should net hundreds of new manufacturing jobs in the field of renewable energy with the recent announcement of $125 million in federal tax credits, companies receiving the credits said.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced the tax credit awards on Jan. 8, including one to Dayton-based AcuTemp, as part of his campaign to make “Ohio the Silicon Valley of Clean Energy Manufacturing.”

That same day, President Obama announced that green energy production tax credits would amount to $2.3 billion nationwide — matched with $5 billion in private funds — to create 17,000 jobs.

Those announcements occurred the same day a dismal report on the nation’s persistently high unemployment was released.

“Manufacturing is critical to the strength of our nation and the future of our middle class, and clean energy represents the future of American manufacturing,” Brown said.

AcuTemp, 2900 Dryden Road, will use $900,000 in credits to purchase equipment for a six-fold increase in manufacturing panels used in high-efficiency Energy Star appliances.

Linda Raisch, company spokeswoman, said it’s too early to detail the number of jobs that could be created.

State Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, who toured AcuTemp recently, said, “It’s one of the places in the Dayton area on a growth path.”

E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. in Circleville will use $50.7 million in credits to produce high-performance polyvinyl films, a component of solar panels, and a new product for the Ohio plant, said plant manager Tony Eichstadt.

Details on how many new jobs will be created will be announced Monday, Jan. 18, he said, at a news conference with Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek.

First Solar, Inc. of Perrysburg, will receive $16.3 million in credits to expand manufacturing to produce thin-film solar modules, which convert sunlight to electricity. Spokesman Alan Bernheimer said the credits will create 200 jobs at the company and 200 construction jobs while the expansion is underway.

Once the 200 manufacturing positions are filled, the company will employ 1,000 workers, Bernheimer said.

The jobs at the company are long term, he said, so simply dividing the tax credit amount by the number of jobs does not produce an accurate account of the economic value of the credits.

“If this is long term, what are the earnings of those people over 10 or 20 years and the taxes they are paying?” he said. “The area is hard hit by recession and it’s a chance for people in the area to get a fresh start. Many of our employees are coming out of a displaced situations. They should be regarded as good, long-term jobs.”

Not far from Perrysburg, Xunlight Corporation of Toledo secured $34.5 million in credits to make a unique solar energy product that is thin and flexible enough to be rolled for shipping and easily applied.

The panels are 3 feet wide by 18 feet long and can be rolled out on large area rooftops such as big box commercial retail outlets.

The company, headquartered in a 122,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, has received more than $40 million in private capital and more than $13 million in research and development funding from the federal energy and commerce departments and the Ohio Department of Development.

They’ve also secured $11 million in loans from the state of Ohio. Xunlight emerged from a University of Toledo business incubator in July 2007.

Spokesman Todd Armstrong said the company aims to annually produce enough solar cells to produce 100 megawatts of power.

Armstrong estimated that manufacturing the product, within a few years, will employ hundreds.

“Pay would be competitive,” he said. “They are manufacturing jobs, as long as our business is successful.”

General Electric Lighting, Inc. of Bucyrus, will use $19.8 million in credits to re-equip a lamp plant to manufacture advanced energy-conserving fluorescent lamps that are in increasing demand. Spokeswoman Janice Fraser said 130 jobs will be created and 30 jobs will be retained as a result.

Brown said Ohio already ranks fourth in the nation for clean energy jobs with clean energy industries as one of the fastest-growing emerging sectors in the state’s economy. Within the last three years, Ohio has attracted more than $74 million in clean energy venture capital, he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 22-7407 or sbennish @DaytonDailyNews.com

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