(adapted from a PA DCNR news release & other press reports

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 9 — Germany-based Conergy AG – the world’s largest solar power integration company – has agreed to locate the North American headquarters of its financial subsidiary, Voltwerk, and the East Coast operations of its solar engineering and installation subsidiary, SunTechnics, in Pennsylvania.

The move is expected to create up to 50 engineering, financing and management jobs and up to $100 million in clean energy deals over the next three years.

“The international community is taking notice of Pennsylvania’s clean energy efforts,” Governor Ed Rendell said. “Our commonwealth is a leader in helping to build and deploy a diverse array of alternative energy projects, and that leadership is attracting investments in manufacturing and creating jobs for our residents.

Conergy, through its Voltwerk and SunTechnics divisions, develops more renewable energy systems than any other company in the world, principally focusing on solar, wind and bioenergy projects. The company cited the growth potential of these sources in Pennsylvania as its reasons for selecting the Commonwealth as a base.

“The renewable energy market in the United States is growing rapidly and Pennsylvania is taking a leadership role,” said Mac Moore, regional head for Conergy in North America. “With the state’s forward-thinking policies, we see tremendous potential to develop renewable energy projects and are very pleased to become a part of Pennsylvania’s business community.”

Pennsylvania also is home to the Spanish wind-energy company Gamesa Corp., the second largest wind energy company in the world. The company’s U.S. headquarters and East Coast development office initially are planned for a location in center city Philadelphia with a site for permanent headquarters to be chosen after a survey of six southern Pennsylvania cities.

According to a previous announcement, final location will be selected after a study of the final subsity package which Gov. Rendell said will include job creation subsidies and, depending on the precise location, possible tax breaks if the company selected a state Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) for its manufacturing facility.

The state is central to growing solar and biofuel sectors. Pennsylvania’s clean energy law mandates some 700 megawatts of electricity from solar photovoltaics by 2020, the second largest solar requirement in the country. Within a year, the state also could be the nation’s leading producer of biodiesel with a projected 40 million gallons of annual production.

The relationship between Pennsylvania and Conergy began when officials from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Community and Economic Development visited Germany in May during the WindEnergy 2006 conference. Thousands of companies, individuals, investors and energy associations from 26 countries participated in the event. Pennsylvania was the only U.S. state afforded a keynote speaking opportunity.

Conergy officials later traveled to Pennsylvania to meet with Governor Rendell, who provided a showcase of Pennsylvania’s clean energy initiatives and introduced officials to companies working on advanced technologies in the solar, wind and biofuel sectors.

“Pennsylvania has an international audience, with a growing array of manufacturers and investors looking to set up business in our state,” said DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty, who represented the Governor in Germany. “Rather than sending jobs overseas, Governor Rendell is bringing overseas jobs to Pennsylvania, showcasing the benefits that can be realized by refocusing our priorities on clean, advanced, indigenous energy resources.”

Conergy’s investment in the commonwealth is a direct result of the state’s $15 million World Trade PA initiative, which quadrupled DCED’s international development budget to accelerate and expand the current trade and investment activities and increase the state’s global competitiveness.

Conergy went public on Germany’s Frankfurt Stock Exchange on March 17, 2005, and has experienced tremendous growth. The Hamburg-based company was established in 1996 by Hans-Martin Rueter and at first run from his living room. It now has more than 1,500 employees worldwide and anticipates revenues of more than $1 billion in 2006 compared to $672 million last year — a 50 percent increase.

The Commonwealth recently redoubled its “green” electricity commitment to 20 percent, making Pennsylvania the largest state purchaser of green electricity in the nation. Pennsylvania also is second only to California in the number of buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council under the internationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Pennsylvania’s “PennSecurity Fuels Initiative” will produce and use 900-million gallons annually of clean, domestic fuel – an amount equivalent to what the state is expected to import from the Persian Gulf 10 years from now. The state is investing $30 million over the next five years to build re-fueling and production infrastructure to support wide distribution of the alternative fuels.

Pennsylvania very well could be the nation’s leading producer of biodiesel within the year, going from practically nowhere a year ago to a projected 40-million gallons of annual production. The state also contains enough plant matter to produce in excess of 500 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. The state’s first ethanol plant location is to be located near the village of Joliet in western Schuylkill County.

The nation’s first coal gasification-liquefaction plant is being built in northeastern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The facility will use waste coal to produce 40-million gallons of clean-burning diesel fuel each year. What state government is doing to support the project is unprecedented, creating a fuel consortium with private industry to purchase nearly all of the offtake. Pennsylvania will lock in its supply for some 10 years at prices well below current market values and ensure a long-term, viable market for the plant.

Brought back to life after years of inactivity, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority has awarded $21 million in grants and loans for 57 clean energy projects that will leverage $240 million in private investment. The projects will create 975 permanent and construction jobs.

The Pennsylvania Energy Harvest Grant Program has awarded $21 million and leveraged another $51.9 million in private funds since its inception in May 2003 for projects using sources such as wind, solar, biomass, waste coal and recycled energy.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 9th, 2006 at 8:19 pm and is filed under News.