Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited Albuquerque on Friday to talk about how federal inflation control laws have created jobs and led to business expansion. While in Albuquerque, Granholm celebrated the groundbreaking for the expansion of the Solar Tracking Manufacturing Campus.Array Technologies is building a new facility in the West […]
Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited Albuquerque on Friday to talk about how federal inflation control laws have created jobs and led to business expansion.
While in Albuquerque, Granholm celebrated the groundbreaking for the expansion of the Solar Tracking Manufacturing Campus.
Array Technologies is building a new facility in west Albuquerque in addition to its existing facility.
The new $50 million facility in west Albuquerque is expected to bring more than $300 million in economic benefits to the city over the next 10 years.
The new campus will be approximately 216,000 square feet and will have more than 300 employees involved in solar tracking technology production, assembly, design and engineering, as well as customer support.
Alley received $2.5 million in financial assistance from the state's Regional Economic Development Act Job Creation Fund, and Albuquerque and Bernalillo counties will provide $250,000 in LEDA funds, as well as property tax funding through industrial revenue bonds. Some reductions were made.
The company also benefits from incentives from the federal Inflation Control Act, a 2022 law that includes the largest investment in climate action in the country's history.
Array Technologies in particular said production tax credits made the expansion possible.
Array Technologies is one of hundreds of companies across the country benefiting from incentives available through the Inflation Control Act.
Granholm said that in the energy sector alone, more than 600 companies have announced plans to expand or open facilities in the United States due to President Joe Biden's investment policies. Its agenda includes the Inflation Control Act as well as other important bills such as the bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.
These expansions and new facilities will create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, she said.
“We're not quite there yet,” Granholm said. “These credits will be valid for his 10 years and give the industry confidence to expand. So we're excited. Every day you open the newspaper and another factory is announced to start operations. ”
Granholm didn't just visit Array Technologies' groundbreaking on Friday. She also headed south to Belem for a ribbon-cutting at Arcosa Wind Towers, a wind turbine manufacturing facility that also benefits from the anti-inflation law. Mr. Arcosa hosted Mr. Biden on a visit last year, and he described the facility as an example of anti-inflation laws in action.
Granholm said eight companies in New Mexico have announced they will expand their operations because of the Inflation Control Act. Those companies include Array Technologies.
He said the unemployment rate in the U.S. is incredibly low and that can be seen in New Mexico.
“Part of that is due to the explosion in manufacturing across the country as a result of the Control Inflation Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, (and) the CHIPS and Science Act,” she said.
Granholm said New Mexico's senators played a key role in drafting the anti-inflation law that brought these benefits to the state.
Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich, who represents New Mexico, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the three laws Granholm mentioned “created incredible demand” for workers to fill manufacturing jobs. Stated.
“It's a great time to be in the skilled trades and manufacturing industries in New Mexico,” he says.
He said the industry's growth has made it difficult to fill job openings.
“Our biggest challenge now is creating a workforce to meet that demand,” Heinrich said. “And that's a good problem to have.”
One way the Inflation Control Act helps build that workforce is through encouraging apprenticeships. The Inflation Control Act provides increased tax credits for companies that meet certain criteria, such as hiring apprentices, and pay prevailing wages.
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan said the Inflation Control Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act are job-creating laws. He said the policy is focused on bringing back lost jobs in the United States.
He said those jobs “are here now and they're here in New Mexico.” That's why I'm so proud to be here and support this bill. ”
During Array Technologies' groundbreaking ceremony, Granholm commented on the shirts employees were wearing. All the shirts had the phrase #SolarJobs written on the back. She said workers were critical to the current industrial revolution.
He said industrial strategy starts with “making America irresistible for investment.”
One way to do that is through tax credits like those found in the Inflation Control Act.
“We are giving tax credits to manufacturers that supply clean energy products, including trackers and of course solar panels,” she said. “And to create demand for the product, we are giving tax credits to utilities and individuals.”
The Inflation Control Act was passed in 2022, but only one member of New Mexico's congressional delegation opposed it at the time. Its member was former Republican U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, who was ousted from her seat months later by current Rep. Gabe Vazquez, a Democrat. Herrell is currently running against Vasquez for the same seat.
The Inflation Control Act did more than just expand business in New Mexico.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that states will receive $156 million in funding from the Inflation Control Act to expand access to solar power.
Funds from the Inflation Control Act are also being used to expand access to clean water and reduce emissions from the transportation sector.
