Zane Rakes hardly breaks a sweat as the afternoon sun beats down and the temperature on the construction site approaches triple digits.
He knows it's because of the sun that he will soon have an office here, running Schott Solar's largest manufacturing plant in the United States. The plant will be the company's North American production hub for photovoltaic panels and receivers for solar thermal power plants.
"This is the third time in two weeks that I've been here," Rakes said while touring the construction site on a piece of desert real estate south of Albuquerque. "I am amazed at how much things change each time I come out here."
Schott on Thursday announced that Rakes will be the director of operations for the plant, a 200,000-square-foot facility that is slated to employ about 350 people by the time it ramps up for production next spring.
Rakes, who grew up in northwestern New Mexico and worked for Intel Corp. for more than a dozen years, said he expects the plant to be an integral part of the community and a leader in the country's burgeoning renewable energy industry.
Gov. Bill Richardson, a former energy secretary, also is looking to Schott's $100 million venture as a way to boost New Mexico's status in the renewable energy world.
That pressure — just like the afternoon sun — doesn't bother Rakes.
"I actually think it complements what we want to do ourselves," he said. "I think we're all firmly committed to this, personally and professionally. We wouldn't be here if we didn't think it was critically important."
A recent survey done for the company shows that 94 percent of Americans polled say it's important for the nation to develop and use solar energy, and more than three-quarters of them believe the development of renewable energy sources should be a priority of the federal government.
Schott officials said the market for solar energy remains viable because many states, including New Mexico, offer renewable energy incentives. However, the federal government's support of the industry remains in limbo as Congress debates a slew of tax credits slated to expire at the end of the year.
Some studies predict thousands of jobs in the renewable energy industry could be lost as well as billions of dollars in investment if the credits are not renewed.
Odes Armijo-Caster, president of the Renewable Energy Industries Association of New Mexico, said the solar industry has been growing between 30 and 40 percent each year. But if the credits expire, he said installation rates could drop and companies like Schott might see the domestic market for their products shrink.
"It's like we're taking one step forward and two steps back," he said. "A lot of my constituents are saying they would have to cut back."
Schott officials said the fate of the tax credits don't have a bearing on the first phase of their project in New Mexico, but the company could be forced to rethink later phases if the credits are not renewed.
"We're going to build responsibly. We're not going to build too fast or be too aggressive," said Schott spokesman Brian Lynch. "We do want to stay ahead of the market curve but like every large company, we always analyze the market, we always look at the opportunities and the demand."
Despite the renewable energy industry's growing pains, Rakes hopes the Schott plant will eventually quadruple in size and serve as the employer of choice for some 1,500 people.
"We want a place where employees are very proud to work and want to be part of a business that has such a positive impact on society," he said.
