Power-One opens Plant in Phoenix

Solar-energy plant opens in Phoenix

Power-One may hire 1,000 eventually; Ariz. advantages cited

By Griselda Nevarez

CRONKITE NEWS SERVICE

PHOENIX — Attending a re­newable- energy factory’s grand opening Monday, Gov. Jan Brew­er said Arizona will become the U.S. leader in solar manufactur­ing and technology.

“I believe Arizona is the desti­nation in the nation for solar companies to locate and expand,” she said.

Brewer, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and other dignitaries were on hand as Camarillo, Calif.­based Power-One Inc., the world’s second-largest manufac­turer of devices that convert pow­er produced from batteries and solar panels, launched a 122,000­square-foot facility near Sky Har­bor International Airport. Forty people are working there to start.

The plant is expected to em­ploy 350 people in the next five years and could eventually have 1,000 workers.

“There’s a great employee base here, but we also chose Arizona because of the solar corridor that the governor has created,” said Richard Thompson, Power-One’s CEO and president.

Thompson said the potential to collaborate with Arizona State University also attracted the company to Phoenix, and he credited the Arizona Commerce Authority, which Brewer created last year to have business leaders help guide the state’s economic future and attract companies.

Gordon said Power-One will help get Arizonans back to work.

The plant will be able to even­tually produce photovoltaic pan­els to capture and convert the sun’s energy and wind inverters that can produce enough elec­tricity for 2 million homes.

Alex Levran, president of re­newable- energy solutions for Power-One, said the company has collaborated with ASU to de­velop innovative technologies because of the university’s “very good development programs and design programs.”

Arizona Corporation Com­missioner Sandra Kennedy said the state’s combination of abun­dant sunshine and existing man­ufacturing firms makes it a prime location for renewable-energy companies. “Our main focus is to put more people to work in these areas,” she said.