Governor Phil Bredesen says a new $1 billion plant announced today in Bradley County, near Chattanooga, positions the state for even more jobs in the burgeoning solar industry.
Wacker Chemie AG produces a primary component in solar panels. It’s a direct competitor with Hemlock Semiconductor, which is building a plant in Clarksville. Bredesen says the pair could spark an entirely new industry in Tennessee.
“With this announcement from Wacker today, Tennessee is now home to two of the largest producers of pure polycrystalline silicon in the world, and this announcement is likely to get the attention of a lot of people.”
Wacker is expected to employ 500 workers. The plant, near Cleveland, is the third billion dollar project in Tennessee in the last eight months. Aside from Hemlock, Volkswagen is building a new plant in Chattanooga.
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