Amonix to Host U.S. DOE Secretary Steven Chu

“His visit emphasizes the reality that utility-scale solar energy is an economically viable reality.”

Chu will tour the North Las Vegas facility where Amonix produces concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems for utility-scale power plants, such as the 2-megawatt power plant in Tucson, Arizona, that showcases the world’s most efficient solar technology. After the tour, Chu will lead a roundtable discussion with solar industry business leaders at the Amonix facility.

Chu was a co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1997 and former director of the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, where he led the lab in pursuit of alternative and renewable energy technologies.

“Secretary Chu has a long-standing interest in renewable energy sources. It’s an honor to have him visit Amonix to take a closer look at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,” said Amonix CEO Brian Robertson. “His visit emphasizes the reality that utility-scale solar energy is an economically viable reality.”

Renewable energy development is a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s long-term economic strategy. The Department of Energy also recently announced the SunShot Initiative in an effort to cut the cost of solar energy by 75 percent by 2020. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $70 billion in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. The Amonix facility in North Las Vegas was financed with a $5.9 million investment tax credit from the Recovery Act awarded in 2010 and $12 million in private capital. The facility will bring $560 million of overall economic impact, including more than 300 private-sector clean energy jobs, to Southern Nevada in the next five years, according to the Nevada Development Authority.

Amonix is the recognized leader in designing and manufacturing concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems that require no water in power production, use land better, and produce more energy per acre than any other solar technology. With the longest track record of real-world CPV deployments in the industry, Amonix is proven to be the best choice for solar power systems in sunny and dry climates. Amonix is headquartered in Seal Beach, Calif., with a manufacturing facility in North Las Vegas, Nev.

www.amonix.com