Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) highlighted how Solar Energy works for America during his remarks at the opening General Session at SPI last night.
Key points included:
* creating jobs seven times faster than the rest of country.
* The Solar Foundation’s jobs census shows the U.S. employs more than 100,000 Americans in more than 5,000 companies.
* The extension of the Section 1603 Treasury Program can create approximately 37,000 jobs in one year alone. To date it has allowed the development of more than 19,000 solar projects in 47 states and the District of Columbia and supported over 4.4 billion dollars in economic investment.
* 3,100 megawatts of clean solar power in place and more than 4,000 megawatts under construction.
* Texas has the potential to be a substantial solar market.
* SEIA and the Solar Alliance are merging, to create a unified voice for the solar industry on both the state and federal levels.
For full text of the remarks: http://www.seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=1680
Eric Haftner, Senior Vice President of Sharp Electronics Corporation (SEC) introduced keynote speaker, NBA Hall of Fame legend, David Robinson and moderator Steve Kerr who shared their experiences as players and teammates. Robinson, an inspiration both on and off the court, stressed the importance of a strong value system, dedication and hard work to be successful in our ever changing world.
