SCHUMER, IN PERSONAL CALL TO PLUG POWER’S CEO, PUSHES TO MAKE NEW YORK FUTURE HOME TO FUEL CELL MANUFACTURER’S NEW ‘GIGAFACTORY’ AND HUNDREDS OF NEW JOBS; NEW PLANT WOULD PRODUCE HYDROGEN FUEL CELL COMPONENTS & COULD BRING 300 GREEN-ECONOMY JOBS TO UPSTATE NY

Plug Power To Soon Announce Location Of New Factory; Company Is Considering Potential Sites Across The US, Including In Upstate New York

Senator Says Plug Power Is a Great New York Biz and with ~400 workers now in Albany & Rochester, Schumer Pledges To Support Company’s Further Expansion In New York with New Gigafactory

Schumer: Picking NY Would Be A Win-Win-Win, Sparking Growth In The Local Economy, Creating New Green-Energy Jobs, Creating New Green Energy Jobs, And Jolting Plug Power’s Fuel Cell Manufacturing To New Heights

After learning that Plug Power is pursuing a site for its new ‘gigafactory,’ U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer yesterday reached out directly to Plug Power CEO, Andy Marsh, to express his support for Plug Power’s interest in locating their new factory in New York. Plug Power is currently considering sites in New York, and another state, for its hydrogen fuel cell component manufacturing plant that the company plans to open next year.

Schumer made a personal call to CEO Marsh yesterday to plug New York and convey his support of the company’s interest to double down on their existing New York workforce and investments by locating their proposed hydrogen fuel cell ‘gigafactory’ in Upstate New York. Schumer said establishing the new ‘gigafactory’ in New York would be a be a win-win by creating hundreds of new green energy manufacturing jobs for the upstate economy while jolting Plug Power’s manufacturing capacity to new heights by tapping into New York’s world-class workforce, which boasts a significant capability in fuel cell manufacturing and development. Additionally, with Plug Power headquartered in Albany and with already-established manufacturing facilities in Latham, Clifton Park, and Rochester, the senator argued that opening the ‘gigafactory’ in New York would leverage its existing New York facilities and provide unique synergies for the company’s long-term growth. 

“Plug Power’s deep history, investments and nearly 400 member existing New York workforce in the state, make New York is an ideal place for the company’s continued growth and leadership in green hydrogen fuel cell development and manufacturing, which I relayed to Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh,” said Senator Schumer. “Plug Power is a great New York company, and I will do everything in my power to support Plug’s expansion here in New York with the new job-creating gigafactory.”

Schumer added, “Our world-class New York workforce is eager to get to work, and with its considerable capabilities for fuel cell manufacturing and development, is tailor-made to help drive Plug Power’s new hydrogen fuel cell gigafactory.  I stand ready to help Plug Power harness all that New York has to offer to continue to lead in green technology and position New York as a global hub in the green economy.”

Plug Power, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Latham, NY, employs about 400 workers in New York to innovate, manufacture and assemble hydrogen fuel cells including about 300 workers in the Capital Region at its headquarters and Capital Region manufacturing sites in Latham and Clifton Park, and about 70 workers at its Rochester, NY manufacturing site.   

The company’s new ‘gigafactory’ will be an up to 200,000 square foot factory that will employ as many as 300 workers to make hydrogen electrolyzers used for the production of hydrogen fuel and to make hydrogen PEM fuel cells used to produce electricity to power equipment Hydrogen electrolyzers use water to make hydrogen fuel, which is then used by fuel cells to produce electricity to power electric motors.  For example, Plug Power has now sold 40,000 fuel cell systems to its customers including Amazon, BMW, Walmart, and others to power forklifts and equipment now used in factories and distribution centers.  The new ‘gigafactory’ will support Plug Power’s plans to both expand fuel cell production to power trucks, buses, airport service equipment, data center backup power, airplanes, and more, as well as to become a leading supplier of green hydrogen fuel.  

Expected to open in mid-2021, the new plant will include research and development laboratories, in addition to defect detection equipment and automated systems to assemble fuel cells and hydrogen electrolyzers, all of which can benefit from New York’s world-class workforce, Schumer argued.

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