Brown Announces Nearly $6 Million for Ohio Green Energy Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) applauded the Senate passage of The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R. 1105). The bill includes $5.92 million in critical funds to support Ohio’s burgeoning green energy industry.

“With the right federal investment, Ohio can become the Silicon Valley of green energy manufacturing,” said Brown. “These federal funds will help commercialize advanced energy work in Ohio to create a new generation of green jobs. By building on our state’s manufacturing heritage, Ohio companies and workers can build the advanced energy products of the 21st century.”

Brown has visited advanced energy companies throughout Ohio and held green energy roundtables to assess how the federal government can make investments that support the creation of green jobs. In January 2009, Brown introduced The Green Energy Production Act of 2009. The legislation would create green-energy jobs, reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil, promote the production of green energy by expanding research and development, commercialize energy technologies, enhance workforce training opportunities, and help establish a national green-energy manufacturing base.
Brown secured funding for the following projects in the omnibus legislation:

BROWN ANNOUNCES $951,500 IN FUNDS FOR GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS IN CENTRAL OHIO

• $951,500 for the Ohio Advanced Energy Manufacturing Center at the Edison Welding Institute in Columbus, Ohio: These funds will help launch of the first-of-its-kind Center which will provide support for advanced energy manufacturing companies. The Center will promote product development, process engineering, and manufacturing technology development projects to help commercialize advanced energy projects. The funds, which will come from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the Department of Energy, were secured by Brown and Senator George V. Voinovich.

BROWN ANNOUNCES $2,263,696  IN FUNDS FOR GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS IN NORTHWEST OHIO

• $122,821 for the Clean and Alternative Energy Business Incubator at the University of Toledo: These funds will develop high-tech conference capability for the incubator to provide training and virtual meeting access to renewable energy entrepreneurs across Ohio. It will allow for the construction of a computer lab, conference room, and infrastructure for full multimedia videoconferencing for advanced energy companies to share best practices and expand business operations. In October 2008, Brown held a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) at the incubator entitled “Midwest Jobs Picture: Strategies to Rebuild Communities.” The funds, which will come from the Small Business Administration, were secured by Brown, Voinovich, and Representative Marcy Kaptur.

• $1,189,375 for Flexible Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells at Xunlight Corporation in Toledo: These funds will support the design of portable, lightweight “solar carpets” that can be installed on commercial roofs at a low cost. Brown visited Xunlight Corporation in February 2009 and toured its flexible, thin-film silicon solar cell manufacturing line. Brown and Xunlight Corporation Chairman and CEO Dr. Xunming Deng discussed how companies in Northwest Ohio could utilize tax incentives and funds in the economic recovery legislation to create new green energy jobs in Ohio. The funds, which will come from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the Department of Energy, were secured by Brown, Voinovich, and Kaptur.

• $951,500 for Coastal Wind Ohio at Bowling Green State University, Ohio: These funds will support the installation of a temporary tower for data collection. Coastal Wind Ohio is working in conjunction with the University of Toledo to develop wind turbine generator blades for offshore use on Lake Erie. The funds, which will come from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the Department of Energy, were secured by Brown, Voinovich, and Representatives Kaptur and Bob Latta.

BROWN ANNOUNCES $2,711,775 IN FUNDS FOR GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS IN NORTHEAST OHIO

• $951,500 for the Alternative Energies Workforce Applications Education and Training Program at Cuyahoga Community College: These funds will help create a pipeline of skilled Ohio workers to meet the region’s growing alternative energy industry. Cuyahoga Community College will use the funds to provide hands-on advanced energy training to students and workers. The funds, which will come from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the Department of Energy, were secured by Brown, Voinovich, and Representatives Marcia Fudge, Dennis Kucinich, and Betty Sutton.

• $475,750 for the Wind Turbine Electric High-Speed Shaft Brake Project at Parker Hannifin Corporation in Avon, Ohio: These funds will be used to develop a new braking system for wind turbines to slow the blades during periods of high winds. These systems could support the development of wind turbines on Lake Erie. The funds, which will come from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the Department of Energy, were secured by Brown, Voinovich, and Sutton.

• $1,284,525 for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems Development at Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems in Canton, Ohio: These funds will help develop fuel cells for commercial use. Specifically, they will support the development of durable, full-scale fuel cell processers. The funds, which will come from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the Department of Energy, were secured by Brown and Voinovich.

The funds were included in The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R. 1105), which passed the Senate last night and the House last month. It is now headed to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature to become law.

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