SoloPower, a startup which produces thin-film solar cells and modules, has announced its plans of opening a new manufacturing plant in Wilsonville, which is south of Portland. Of course, this plan for expansion has come due to the fact that the company has received a $ 20 million loan from the Oregon’s State Energy Loan Program.

While the intention of the organization is to keep their corporate headquarters and research and development in Silicon Valley (San Jose), this decision to set up a factory employing 170 workers in Oregon has come after considering several areas in the United States that seemed beneficial for scaling up production.

According to Oregon’s governor, these jobs are exactly the kind that Oregon needs, as this supports their vision of being a stronger clean-technology manufacturing state, and while SoloPower has 127 people at its current headquarters, that number will pale in comparison to the 500 strong employees that this manufacturing unit will grow to in the coming years.

At another level altogether, the company’s sales and marketing vice-president declined to comment on whether California was considered or not for these expansion plans, and perhaps this is due to the fact that the Silicon Valley Leadership Group have been very vocal about improving the State’s performance so that hi-tech jobs are not moved elsewhere by the creation of a Cabinet-level post to oversee this.

And while this might be a cause for concern, the truth is that the company has carefully looked at several areas both in the United States and abroad before making this decision.