13 February 2012
In a letter sent today to US President Barack Obama, CEOs of 45 US solar energy companies strongly urged the President in his meeting with China’s Vice President Xi Jinping “to discuss the mutual benefits of renewable energy development, especially solar photovoltaic technology.”
The 45 CEOs represent a cross-section of the US solar industry employing thousands of US workers in 19 states. Companies signing the letter manufacture polysilicon, the key component in solar cell manufacturing, build machinery and equipment used to produce solar cells, develop residential, commercial and utility solar projects and install solar panels.
In their letter, the 45 CEOs expressed hope that President Obama and Vice President Xi “will discuss the mutual interests that America and China have in regard to expanding the use of solar technology. This is especially important in light of the potential for a mutually destructive trade war as both nations consider tariffs and duties on each other’s imports of solar technology.”
Companies signing the letter are based in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
The letter with the names of 45 CEOs and their companies:
13 February 2012
Dear Mr. President,
In anticipation of your upcoming meeting with China’s Vice President Xi Jinping, we are writing to urge you and the Vice President to discuss the mutual benefits of renewable energy development, especially solar photovoltaic technology. We are at a crucial time in the development and growth of the solar industry with broad benefits for both countries and the rest of the world.
Our companies represent all segments of America’s solar industry. Together we employ thousands of workers. Our companies manufacture polysilicon, the raw material for most of the solar cells sold all over the world. Our companies manufacture machinery and equipment used to produce solar cells and to utilize the electricity they generate. Our companies develop solar projects, large and small. We install solar panels on residential and commercial structures and build utility-scale power plants. In all of these activities, our companies employ thousands of skilled workers, all of whom are proud to be a part of such an important industry, especially as we face constraints in existing energy resources.
The US solar industry is an American success story. While US jobs increased by less than 1% last year, jobs in the solar industry increased by nearly 7% and are expected to grow by 24% this year. Further, in 2010 (the latest year for which we have data) the US had a positive balance of trade with China of $400 million. The trade case brought by SolarWorld, while in SolarWorld’s interest, threatens the success of the U.S. solar industry and tens of thousands of jobs.
We are hopeful that you and Vice President Xi will discuss the mutual interests that America and China have in regard to expanding the use of solar technology. This is especially important in light of the potential for a mutually destructive trade war as both nations consider tariffs and duties on each other’s imports of solar technology.
We believe that you and Vice President Xi have a unique opportunity to avoid such a trade war and find agreement that benefits the solar industries in both countries.
Mr. President, we very much appreciate all of your hard work and policies in support of renewable energy and hope that together America and China mobilize to expand the use of solar power.
Sincerely,
Steve Ethridge, President
360 Solar
Barnesville, AL
Robert Hemphill, President and CEO
AES Solar
Arlington, VA
George A. Kotzias II, CEO
Alethea Cleantech
Brooklyn, NY
Ron Mueller, Founder/CEO
Alternate Energy Shop
Cave Creek, AZ
Anthony O. Pereira, President & CEO
altPOWER, Inc.
New York, NY
Jack Ramsey, CEO
AltSys Solar Inc.
Tulare, CA
J. Greg Holder, President
AM Solar, Inc. Springfield, OR
Elliot Isban, CEO
American Solar & Alternative Power LLC
Stamford, CT
Patrick H. Cannon, CEO
Cannon Solar & Wind LLC
Cottonwood, AZ
William L. Pham, CEO
Cenergy Power
Carlsbad, CA
Bill Sepmeier, CEO
DC Power and Light Company, LLC
Gypsum, CO
Johnnie Miller, CEO
Electrical Solutions
Parsonsburg, MD
Terry Sholin, Vice President
ET Solar
Pleasanton, CA
Travis Simpson, CEO
Extend Energy, LLC
Greensboro, NC
Stefan Parhofer, CEO
Gehrlicher Solar America Corp.
Springfield, NJ
Cal Morton, Director
Get Natural Energy Wind & Solar
Celina, TX
Ocean Yuan, CEO
Grape Solar
Eugene, OR
Jeff Wolfe, CEO
groSolar
White River Junction, VT
Tom Gutierrez, CEO
GT Advanced Technologies
Merrimack, NH
Island Pacific Energy
Joseph Saturnia, President
Honolulu, HI
Michael Martin, CEO
juwi solar Inc.
Boulder, CO
Scott Franklin, President / CEO
Lighthousesolar and Lumos Solar
Boulder, CO
Ahmad Chatila, CEO
MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
St. Peters, MO
Frank Alfano, CEO
Mercury Solar Systems
Port Chester, NY
Dan Kruger, President/CEO
Nature Power Products
Charles Feit, CEO
OnForce Solar, Inc.
Bronx, NY
Jim Petersen, CEO
Petersen Dean
Newark, CA
Michael Campbell, CEO
Ra Power & Light
Laguna Beach, CA
Tore Torvund, CEO
REC Silicon
San Luis Obispo, CA
Tom Faust, CEO
Redwood Renewables
Corte Madera, CA
Larry Beltramo, President
Rosendin Electric, Inc.
San Jose, CA
Haresh Patel, CEO
SCS Renewables
Campbell, CA
Randy Velker, CEO
Simple EnergyWorks
Crossville, TN
Jeff Brothers, President
Sol Orchard
Carmel, CA
Glenn Bland, CEO
Solar Seminars
Bakersfield, CA
Bob Kingery, Co-founder and CEO
Southern Energy Management
Morrisville, NC
Steve Kircher, CEO
SPI Solar
San Francisco, CA
John Kimball, CEO
Sun Electronics
Miami, FL
Andrew Birch, CEO
Sungevity
Oakland, CA
Edward Fenster, CEO
SunRun Inc.
San Francisco, CA
Jon Bonanno, CIO
Sustainable Power Assets
CA
Mike Re, CEO
Swinerton Inc.
San Francisco, CA
Randy Bishop, CEO and Co-Founder
Verengo Solar
Torrance, CA
Patrick Callinan, CEO
Vista Solar
Santa Clara, CA
Jeffrey Barnett, President
Wirsol Solar Americas
New York, NY
