SunEdison to Expand in Ontario

As we’ve noted on this blog before, the apt phrase for the renewable energy industries is not, “If you build it, they will come,” but rather, “If you subsidize it, they will build it.” Such is the case of Ontario, Canada, which is seeing a boom in solar energy-related activity since putting in place a feed-in tariff (FIT) program earlier this year.

SunEdison, a large solar power services provider headquartered in Beltsville, MD, recently announced it expects to more than double its Canadian workforce in 2010.

“We are excited to be ramping up to meet the opportunities the FIT program in Ontario offers and to continue work on our established RESOP projects,” said Jason Gray, director of Canadian operations for SunEdison. “As a solar company committed to the Ontario market, we will establish local supply agreements and the necessary operations and maintenance teams to build out our pipeline. Moreover, we will commit financial resources to local developers through project partnerships.”

SunEdison, which was last month formally acquired by MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., is no stranger to the Ontario market: they own and operate First Light, Canada’s first solar PV energy park. Located in Stone Mills, Ontario, First Light is a 9.1-megawatt project.

UPDATE: SunEdison isn’t the only firm to join Ontario’s solar power party. See this post, which explains that Canadian Solar (a Chinese-held company) will actually make some of its products in Canada.