Kingston, NY - Two and a half years after helping to establish The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today led a Hudson Valley solar energy summit that featured a unique combination of three dozen solar energy company executives, researchers, marketers, and elected officials.  The group met to review the progress they've made in advancing the region and the state overall as a solar energy leader and to discuss how they can advance their efforts even further.  In addition to discussing the status and future of the solar energy industry in the Hudson Valley, Hinchey announced that he's secured final congressional approval of a new $2.25 million federal investment in TSEC that will support the consortium's operations and enable it to bring in new solar businesses that will create more than 100 additional new jobs in the region.

"In a relatively short period of time, we've put the Hudson Valley on the map as one of the nation's leading hubs for solar energy research and development," Hinchey said. "Today's meeting demonstrates the success that TSEC has already had in bringing in new companies and enabling existing companies to grow in the Hudson Valley.  Already, TSEC has partnered with more than 70 companies, including 17 that are represented at today's meeting.  These companies demonstrate the success that we've already achieved and illustrate the ongoing progress we've made in advancing the solar energy sector in the Hudson Valley.  This latest allocation of $2.25 million in federal funding I was able to secure will greatly support TSEC's operations and enable the consortium to bring in yet another solar company to the Hudson Valley.  With every company that moves in we are further cementing the Hudson Valley's status as the go-to place for solar energy research and development."

Using his seat on the House Appropriations Committee, Hinchey on October 1 secured final House approval of his request to allocate $2.25 million in federal funding for TSEC's operations and its efforts to attract new solar businesses to upstate New York.  The Senate approved the funds on October 15.  The bill has now been sent to the White House where President Obama is expected to sign it into law as early as this week.

Hinchey has now secured more than $20 million in federal funds for TSEC and its partners with additional funding to be announced in the coming weeks that will increase that figure to nearly $30 million.  The congressman helped organize and create TSEC in 2007.  The consortium is an industry-driven, non-profit organization that provides leadership, organization, resources, and support for the establishment of a major solar energy industry cluster in New York.  The consortium has partnered with more than 70 small and large companies, including nearly a dozen that have already created 200 jobs in the Hudson Valley and collectively plan to bring more than 1,000 new jobs to upstate New York within the next five years.  

"Through its unique partnerships with businesses, higher education institutions, and marketers, TSEC has created an umbrella organization that is fostering the strong growth of the solar energy industry in New York," Hinchey said. "It's abundantly clear that this nation is rapidly moving away from the use of fossil fuels and embracing solar and other forms of renewable energy.  By making these investments now, we're positioning New York to be at the front of the pack for this green industrial revolution."

In order to assist solar energy businesses in upstate New York with the development of their solar products, TSEC has partnered with six premier research universities across the state: Binghamton University, the City University of New York, Clarkson University, Cornell University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and The State University of New York at New Paltz.  In conjunction with TSEC's university partners, there are large and significant solar related demonstration projects underway from New York City to the Hudson Valley involving farms, government installations and hospitals.  Earlier today, Hinchey joined U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Jill Harvey in announcing more than $371,481 in federal loans and grants for ten local agricultural farms to install solar energy systems and make other renewable upgrades that will enable them to dramatically cut their energy consumption.

To further his ability to secure funds for solar energy initiatives, Hinchey gained a seat earlier this year on the powerful and influential House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which has enabled him to direct increased funding to advance the research and development of solar energy products for defense and commercial applications.  The congressman said that he believes TSEC is well-positioned to take the lead on a wide array of those solar projects.  As the single largest consumer of energy in the world, the U.S. military stands to benefit greatly from investments in solar energy products.  Hinchey noted that a greater commitment to renewable energy will lower the military's operational costs, reduce the frequency that combat troops need to refuel and repower equipment, and help the environment through lower greenhouse gas emissions.