PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A solar panel manufacturer has decided to build a factory in Portland rather than Wilsonville and says it was decisive action rather than better terms that sealed the deal.
The Oregonian newspaper says SoloPower Inc. had planned to build in the suburb south of Portland but opponents of Wilsonville’s tax and public loan benefits were circulating petitions to put the deal on the ballot in September.
Enter Portland, which offered the California company the same benefits as Wilsonville, with an enterprise-zone tax abatement on top.
SoloPower chief executive Tim Harris told the paper the company wants to begin production of thin-film panels early next year and didn’t have time for uncertainty and delay.
The company says it hopes to create 481 jobs eventually, at an average salary of $51,000.
