Evergreen
Solar Inc. will build a new $150 million manufacturing plant in
Westborough that would create more than 350 new jobs and boost
Massachusetts’ push to become a major alternative-energy center, Gov.
Deval Patrick announced today.
“I’ve said all along, if Massachusetts can get clean energy
technology right, the world will be our customer,” Patrick said in a
statement.
The Marlborough-based Evergreen, which will more than double its
state employment with the planned expansion, will build the new facility
with the help of a $44 million state financial package that includes
grants, low-interest loans and a 30-year lease of state land.
The facility, where solar photovoltaic products would be made, is
slated to be built on state-owned property adjacent to the headquarters
of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a quasi-private
organization that invests funds in innovative companies and
technologies.
The collaborative has been heavily involved in funding clean-energy
projects, such as solar and wind-energy technologies.
In addition to the Evergreen move, officials also announced that the
company and Nstar have entered into a “first-in-the-nation’ marketing
program to promote solar power. Evergreen is also in talks with National
Grid and Western Massachusetts Electric about similar agreements,
Patrick’s office said.
During last year’s gubernatorial campaign and since he took office
in January, Patrick has repeatedly made clear he wants to make
Massachusetts a major player in the emerging clean-energy industry.
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