Oregon Public Broadcasting

The California start-up, Solaicx held an opening ceremony for its new Portland factory Tuesday. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, the silicon wafer manufacturer joins a number of other solar businesses moving into the area.

Oregon’s silicon forest used to be focused exclusively on making silicon wafers for computer chips. But increasingly that focus is broadening to include photovoltaic cells, which use similar wafers as microchips.

Mike Grainey, the director of the Oregon Department of Energy, says recent laws that create both a market for renewable energy and tax breaks for greener energy programs, have really helped attract companies.

Mike Grainey: “Solaicx is one example of what is becoming a cluster of solar and other renewable manufacturing facilities in Oregon.”

Solaicx will create up to 180 jobs.

Earlier this year, the German company SolarWorld, announced it would convert an dormant semiconductor plant in Hillsboro into a new photovoltaic factory.