Washington, D.C.– Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva will hold a press conference in Tucson June 27 at Global Solar, the world’s eighth largest producer of photovoltaic solar panels, to talk about the importance of supporting the domestic renewable energy industry. The event will focus on renewable energy tax credits, the need for the federal loan guarantee program that has already brought Abengoa Solar to Southern Arizona, and the importance of increasing domestic supply for renewable power hardware and labor.
“The growing worldwide solar market should play a big role in Arizona’s economic and environmental future,” Grijalva said in announcing the event. “Today’s industry is dominated by China and European countries that got ahead of the curve, and it’s time American policy put us back in front. I look forward to talking about how we can make that happen and bring good green jobs to our state for many years to come.”
Grijalva will tour the Global Solar facility with company managers, and the press conference will follow. Both events are open to the media.
Grijalva last year congratulated Abengoa Solar on a $1.45 billion federally guaranteed loan that brought the company’s Solana project to Gila Bend, creating an estimated 1,600 local jobs and powering 70,000 homes at a fraction of the greenhouse gas impact of traditional energy sources. Grijalva has called such projects “a great public service,” and has pushed to bring more solar power financing to the state.
“We need to promote U.S. production of clean power technology, because the more American sources we can rely on, the less we look to Middle East oil as our long-term solution,” Grijalva said. “We’re choosing right now between a future of high-paying American jobs and a clean energy sector on one hand, and a future of hoping other countries sell us their products on the other. We need to make the right choice, not just for Arizona but for the country.”
Where: Global Solar, 8500 South Rita Road in Tucson
When: June 27, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Arizona time
For more information, contact Global Solar at (520) 546-6313