Biden hails $2.6 bil. investment plan by Hanwha as 'big deal'
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he walks to board Marine One before departing for Walter Reed hospital on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 11. AFP-Yonhap
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday welcomed Hanwha Solutions' plan to build a solar panel production facility in the U.S., calling it a "big deal" for American workers and the U.S. economy.
The U.S. leader insisted the planned investment is a "direct result" of his economic plan and the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act.
"Today's Hanwha Q CELLS announcement to make the largest solar investment in U.S. history is a big deal for Georgia's working families and the American economy. And, this investment is a direct result of my economic plan and the Inflation Reduction Act," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
Hanwha Q Cells, part of Hanwha Solutions under Hanwha Group, said on Wednesday (Korea time) that it plans to invest 3.2 trillion won (US$2.57 billion) to build a solar panel parts plant in Georgia by the end of next year, and also expand its existing facility in Dalton, Georgia.
The new facility, according to Hanwha, will be part of what will be a "solar hub" in Georgia.
"Hanwha's Q CELLS investment will create thousands of good-paying jobs in Georgia, many of which won't require a four-year degree," Biden said in his released statement.
"It will bring back our supply chains so we aren't reliant on other countries, lower the cost of clean energy, and help us combat the climate crisis. And, it will ensure that we manufacture cutting-edge, solar technology here at home. It's a win for workers, consumers, and our climate," he added.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the investment plan "further evidence" of President Biden's economic plan delivering for American workers
.
"This investment will create 2,500 jobs in Georgia, and represent the single largest investment in solar manufacturing in the United States," she said at the top of a daily press briefing at the White House.
"When the President talks about building our economy from the bottom up and middle out, this is exactly what he is delivering ― more investment, more jobs, more manufacturing in America," she added. (Yonhap)