Although green technology companies have come under scrutiny since the stunning FBI raid on Solyndra LLC last month, the industry is still showing promising growth throughout California.
Solyndra was raided after having publicly announced a cessation of its operations and an intent to file for bankruptcy despite having received nearly half a billion dollars in federal loans. The company cited foreign manufacturers, global oversupply of solar panels, and shrinking credit markets as some of the reasons for its decline.
Even though Solyndra, which was based in Fremont, has already become an infamous talking point for the industry, there has been continued growth for green technology in the Bay Area.
One example is that of the Maryland-based company SunEdison LLC, which is moving its headquarters to Belmont. The new location on the San Francisco peninsula will bring new jobs to the Bay Area as well as some of the benefits of a $250 million loan SunEdison was recently able to obtain to build solar power plants in Thailand, according to Bloomberg.
Gov. Jerry Brown commented on the state’s position towards green energy as he welcomed SunEdison to their new home in Belmont, saying, “We’re going to invest in solar and make California not only the national leader, which it already is, but we’re going to make it the world leader.”
Brown earlier this year also signed Senate Bill X1-2 in order to codify the goal for making 33 percent of California energy renewable by 2020, where he also noted, “This bill will bring many important benefits to California, including stimulating investment in green technologies in the state, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, improving local air quality, promoting energy independence, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
BrightSource Energy, Inc. just filed an application with the California Energy Commission last Friday for approval of three solar electric generating facilities in Riverside County that are estimated to generate 750 megawatts of electricity.
BrightSource, which is based in Oakland, estimated that the project would be able to power 300,000 homes according to a statement released by the company. BrightSource is already building another facility called Ivanpah using the same pool of federal funding as Solyndra.
Sungevity, yet another Bay Area green technology firm, announced a renewable energy tax equity fund with Citigroup Inc. that will enable the company to support over $50 million in residential solar lease projects. The announcement came in August from the firm’s headquarters in Oakland and will allow for the expansion of rooftop solar paneling all over the country.
The CSU system is already no stranger to renewable energy. In February of this year, CSU Bakersfield held a “Flip the Switch” ceremony to commemorate the activation of a solar parking canopy that would generate 1.2 megawatts of solar energy for the campus.
The panels were actually part of a Solar Power Service Agreement with SunEdison that required no upfront costs to the university. President of CSUB, Dr. Horace Mitchell ,commented at the ceremony, “CSUB is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and we are taking tangible steps in several areas to enhance our environmental sustainability.”
CSU East Bay already generates 1.05 megawatts of electricity from its rooftop photovoltaic installation (solar panels) at the Hayward campus, which makes up about six percent of our electricity needs per year.
CSUEB also recently completed construction on the PG&E fuel cell that uses natural gas to generate 1.4 megawatts of electricity and is deemed “Ultra-Clean,” according to Facilities Management.
While the fuel cell and solar panels may not be as glamorously obvious as solar parking canopies, they are at least a step in the right direction towards better energy consumption.
Despite Solyndra, green technology is still bringing clean energy and jobs to the Bay Area where it is sorely needed. Alameda County currently has an unemployment rate of 10.9 percent, which stands above the national average of 9.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Companies like Sungevity, based in Oakland, are looking for employees in a variety of areas that do not need expertise in green technology such as accounting, administration, customer service, finance, and information technology. While there is no way to say if these companies are safe bets, they are at least offering job opportunities.
For many CSUEB students who are looking at a bleak job market upon graduation, green technology may be a viable solution.