Solar manufacturer plans Oregon facility

PORTLAND, Ore. --A California company says it is opening a Portland factory to make silicon wafers for the photovoltaic industry.

Solaicx of Santa Clara, Calif., said Tuesday it has leased a 136,000-square-foot building in a Port of Portland industrial district.

The company said in a press release that it expects to create 100 jobs by the end of the year. At full capacity, Solaicx said, the facility will produce 142 megawatts worth of solar ingots and wafers a year.

The company cited Oregon's efforts to nurture renewable sources of energy.

"We looked at the state of Oregon's generous financial incentives for renewable energy and Portland's deep base of skilled labor in silicon manufacturing, and decided that the port is an ideal place for our continued growth as a company," said Jeff Jones, Solaicx vice president. "This welcoming atmosphere will allow us to meet our goals and rapidly ramp-up to full production by the end of 2008."