Remember Abound Solar? Any numbers come to mind? Like 850 jobs and a $15 mil taxpayer incentive from the county? Like $400 mil federal dollars?
On this date in 2010 it was announced that Abound would purchase the vacant factory facility at 28 and 31 and create 850 jobs.
Abound declared bankruptcy three years later and Colorado got stuck with cleaning up the mess they left there.
But, Hurrah for Green!
3 comments:
"Hurrah for Green"...Sure, I suppose that is the bitter comment you could make, green energy plant didn't work out for hoosiers in this case, so sod the libs, we'll go back to what we do so well which is...what? How did the Getrag plant work out? "Hurrah for GM"? The problem wasn't that a plant that you could pigeon-hole in the green energy sector wasn't a good idea and that green energy isn't a viable alternative to smokestack energy. The problem was, in fact, it was a great idea that the Chinese decided they were going to capture, invested billions, and made the Abound tech suddenly non-competitive. Are there lessons and things to complain about? Sure
But green energy as a losing proposition isn't one of them. US response to Chinese manufacturing take-over? check. Encouraging US states and cities to bid against each other for best tax break, economic incentive? check Inability to get anyone's attention with a plan for the empty factory at 28/31? check But California, Mass., Vermont & Oregon are all states with a massive investment in green tech and they are all states with a bright economic future.
imho 😉
http://blogs.denverpost.com/thebalancesheet/2012/11/12/tipton-indianas-brush-abound-solar-leaves-county-wounded/7234/#disqus_thread
Palisader, clearly it was my cheer for green that set you off, but okay then, I will consider myself properly schooled. I did not say anything in opposition to green energy and I certainly did not say anything about sodding the libs or anyone else, for that matter.
It is not the fault of local taxpayers nor is it the fault of the powers that be that made the decisions to give monetary encouragement that someone found a more efficient and cheaper way to build solar panels. It happens. Many failures often precede success in any endeavor.
We have several solar farms and a cadre of wind farms in our bailiwick. Are solar fields uglier than cornfields? Check. (imo) Does that mean we should not have them? Not at all. In fact I am told that the energy I am using to cool my home and even to post this response is generated by solar power.
So maybe, just maybe, "Hurrah for Green!" was not intended as sarcasm.
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