Senate passes $180 million incentive to bring solar panel, photovoltaic cell manufacturer to Inola

Senate Bill 1179 would provide up to $180 million in incentives for Enel North America, which began as a utility company in Italy but “evolved to become one of the world’s largest, most dependable, and most sustainable renewable energy companies” with a presence in the United States and Canada for more than 20 years, according to its website.

The company announced in November that it would be building a new manufacturing plant in the United States and would employ about 1,500 people. It already has job openings for the plant listed on its website, with the caveat that the positions are “posted in Oklahoma, as it is one of the leading candidates for the site of the facility.”

A separate measure, SB 1177, which would create the Performance Act, would provide rebates for 10% of qualified expenditures through July 1, 2032. The company would have to create incrementally up to 1,400 jobs to receive all the rebates, which are also structured incrementally with five payments of $36 million.

SB 1177 passed by a vote of 37-5, and SB 1179 passed by a vote of 36-5. Both bills now head to the House for consideration.

Enel North America’s job listings for the potential Oklahoma plant indicate that it plans to build one of the largest solar photovoltaic manufacturing facilities in the United States here. The company expects the facility to produce at least 3 gigawatts of photovoltaic cells annually and scale up to 6 gigawatts annually.

According to the website energysage.com, the majority of solar projects in the United States use imported panels. Enel says on its website that its new plant will support “the creation of a domestic solar PV supply chain to accelerate the growth of US generated energy and add to the country’s domestic solar cell and panel manufacturing capacity.”

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, said the state incentive program would allow the company to grow at its own pace.

Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, debated against the measure.

“My opposition stems from: Is this a proper use of government authority and government money?” Hamilton said. “I also feel like in any human relationship, somebody is working somebody. My fear is the state of Oklahoma may be being worked by this company.”

He said he was voting no because the bill may be “another rock in the rucksack.”

Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said the state would be providing a $180 million guarantee without actually knowing what the return would be.

“I believe the taxpayers’ money is protected, that the investment must be there and the jobs must be met,” Thompson said.

SB 1179 would appropriate $180 million from fiscal year 2022 savings, leaving the state with a balance of $700 million, Thompson said.

Also Wednesday, the House approved a $38.6 million appropriation for water and sewer upgrades that Appropriations and Budget Committee Vice Chairman Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, confirmed were for the Enel project.

House Bill 2888 passed by an 83-1 vote, with the only no vote coming from Rep. Denise Crosswhite-Hader, R-Yukon.

Randy Krehbiel and Mary Bishop-Baldwin contributed to this story.

April 2022 video: Gov. Stitt seeks economic incentive ‘kicker’ to land ‘largest factory investment in state’s history’