Story #6: Solar Company That Got $58M Leaving Massachusetts
RUSH: From Boston: "A solar panel manufacturer that benefited from $58 million in state aid to open a factory at a former Massachusetts military base is closing the plant and laying off 800 workers." A solar panel manufacturer, green jobs, baby. Fifty-eight million dollars in state aid, shutting down. Eight hundred people out of work. Evergreen Solar announced yesterday that they're shutting down the plant by the end of this year, first quarter of this year. "Evergreen CEO Michael El-Hillow said dropping prices and competition from heavily subsidized solar manufacturers in China made the plant 'no longer economically feasible.' The company will continue to run facilities in China and Midland, Mich." (gasping) These guys have offices and factories in China and in the United States. There's competition in China, but they're staying in China and in Michigan. They're just closing down in Massachusetts, in Boston. They "reported losses of $265 million in 2009 and $54 million through the first nine months of 2010." They got $58 million in state aid four years ago to open the factory. Didn't matter. Eight hundred people laid off. (interruption) I know green jobs are the future. It's just the future hasn't gotten here yet. Stop egging me on, Snerdley. I'm trying to be civil about this.
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