Friday, April 28, 2006

Greenville preparing for Uni-Solar expansion
Thank you Jennifer Granholm. (If you recall, it was her work that landed this deal.)

24 Hour News 8 has learned Uni-Solar, the company many believe is Greenville's economic savior, will need to expand beyond its initial plan.

One month ago, Uni-Solar announced it was expanding its operations to Greenville, selecting the Montcalm County location over a site in South Carolina. Since then, the worldwide demand for Uni-Solar's solar shingles has exploded. The Detroit-based company told us it is doing its best to keep up with orders.

With that in mind, we've learned Greenville has offered Uni-Solar more land for future expansion.

Uni-Solar broke ground on Phase 1 last week, but already world demand means it may need to grow faster than expected.

Uni-Solar currently plans to build six manufacturing plants by 2010 at Greenville's Industrial Park. The first 200,000-square foot facility will be operational by next summer. A campus of solar panel production will then be constructed on 95 acres of land.

He told us the European market for solar shingles is red-hot. Governments there are providing cash incentives for retrofitting residential rooftops. The revolutionary technology is providing enough energy for lighting, heating and cooling come rain or shine.

That's because the Europeans have their shit together and are going to stop chasing that almighty barrel of oil.

This is the future, the future that America better start looking at and taking seriously. Or we can keep playing this game that we are playing- destroying the environment, squabbling over petty taxes, chasing our tails as the world's demand for oil just continues to grow and supplies become scarce and prices continue to rise.

Your choice, America.