SAUGERTIES – Congressman Maurice Hinchey Monday announced that two new solar manufacturing deals will create at least 66 new solar industry jobs in the Hudson Valley this year.

The new ventures and jobs are consistent with the new administration, Hinchey said.

“We have a president who understands that alternative energy is essential for this country,” he said. “We can’t continue to be dependent upon fossil fuels and the alternative energy development is highly important. We’ve seen funding put into the economic development package.”

Precision Flow Technologies, one of the Solar Energy Consortium’s partners, has reached an agreement with two other companies to design and manufacture solar energy equipment products at Precision Flow’s Saugerties facility.

Hinchey, who previously secured funding for TSEC, also announced he has secured $3.2 million in new money for TSEC and its partners.

Precision Flow has established a relationship with a major solar equipment manufacturer to design, engineer and build key equipment used in the manufacturing of solar cells and lighting. The agreement will create 60 to 75 jobs at the facility. Two thirds of the jobs will be in manufacturing and the balance will be in engineering and support staff.

Precision will also engineer, design and manufacture solar equipment for Solar Metrology, a company that builds equipment for the thin film measurement requirements of the solar electric and power storage industries. That is expected to create six to eight new jobs in Saugerties.

Of the $3.2 million secured by Hinchey, a portion will be used for Prison Solar Technologies, TSEC’s first major manufacturing partner, to get established with equipment in Ulster County and begin operations there.