In Washington state, energy efficiency is the onus for bringing an empty factory back to life and creating jobs in the local county, according to The Columbian newspaper. The transformation is being made possible through federal stimulus money awarded to NCS Power Inc., located in Vancouver, Wash.
Governor Chris Gregoire announced that a $2 million federal loan has been granted to push NCS’s plan to manufacture energy-efficient lights in public and commercial areas that will be used by the city of Washougal, Wash. The funding is being allocated to the project through the state Department of Commerce, which received $20 million in federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for statewide projects, the local paper said.
NCS intends to begin manufacturing lights with 50 employees and continue hiring through 2010, with the hope of having almost 300 full-time positions filled and 90 temporary positions, according to The Columbian. The Clark County-based factory operation means NCS is creating U.S. jobs, where NCS has been outsourcing work to Asia.
NCS applied for the loan and its plan for cleantech manufacturing captured the attention of the city, which was searching for energy-efficient lighting for its downtown area, the paper said. NCS will start out with a pilot program to provide 200 streetlights and 400 LED tube lights typically used for commercial and office space.
The revived factory will boost other businesses and create additional jobs, according to Jeanie Ashe director of business development for the Columbia River Economic Development Council, the paper reported.
"Each job that's created means an additional one to 1.5 jobs in supporting industries," such as suppliers, metal fabricators and companies that transport goods to market, Ashe told the paper.
