Brighton lands $250 million solar panel manufacturing plant

Brighton has scored a second big green energy win this year — a solar module manufacturing plant expected to employ more than 900 workers.

VSK Energy Inc. (VSK), a joint venture between India-based Vikram Solar and the private equity firm Phalanx Impact Partners and the development firm Das & Co., plans to invest $250 million in a new manufacturing facility in Brighton to make solar panels, a market that overseas producers have dominated for years.

“The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act was a landmark moment for the clean energy future of the United States,” said Sriram Das, chairman of VSK Energy and managing director of Das & Co, in a press release. “The Biden Administration and Congress have called for immediate action and, through our partnership in VSK, we are taking a decisive step towards achieving solar technology self-sufficiency, fortifying America’s energy security, and propelling large-scale solar deployment.”

To receive federal tax credits and other funding sources, clean energy equipment must be made primarily in the U.S., which is setting off a rush to establish new manufacturing facilities across the country. VSK Energy’s Brighton plant, slated to open next year, is one of two the company is building in the U.S.

Mortenson Properties will oversee the engineering work and construction at both facilities and along with Hyde Development, owns the industrial park where the plant will be located — the recently finished 76 Commerce Center.

Colorado has chipped in its own incentives to help attract some of the new manufacturing capacity. VSK Energy in March received $9.2 million in Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits from the Colorado Economic Development Commission. The state’s award is conditioned on VSK Energy creating 951 jobs over eight years at an annual average wage of $65,312, which matches the average annual wage in Adams County.

But the company now expects the average annual wage will be above $70,000 a year. Among the positions to be offered are engineers, technical operators, manufacturing laborers, and administrative staff.

Colorado has set a goal of all its energy being from renewable or clean sources by 2040, which has worked in its favor when it comes to drawing green tech companies. Governor Polis also conducted a trade and investment mission to India in 2019, with a focus on renewable energy technologies.

“Cleantech in Colorado contributes $4.6 billion per year to the state’s economy and employs over 62,000 Colorado workers. By establishing a new solar manufacturing facility in Brighton, VSK will grow this important employment sector and help further Colorado’s commitment to grow clean energy technologies,” Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said in a statement.

In March, Amprius Technologies chose Brighton for a 775,000-square-foot facility that will make silicon-anode batteries, a much more efficient lithium-ion technology that allows batteries to be lighter, reach a longer range and recharge faster.

Amprius Technologies plans to employ 330 people at that plant early on and could go well above that number over time. The facility will go into the former Kmart distribution site located on East Bromley Lane. Amprius received approval for $5.49 million in state tax credit incentives in February to help seal the deal.