Falatyn, right, and acting TSEC CFO Paul Hakim

KINGSTON – The Ulster County Legislature will vote this week on authorizing $200,000 for “specific Solar Consortium related services”.  The money will meet a matching requirement for a $450,000 federal funding being secured through Congressman Maurice Hinchey.

Frank Falatyn, Vice Chairman of the Board for The Solar Energy Consortium, told legislators that their contribution will augment what has been a privately-funded venture, to date.

“The $200,000 will go to pay partial salaries for just the staff of the consortium.  You actually are creating jobs in Ulster County by helping to fund these people that have been working unpaid for the last six to eight months.”

Falatyn said they are also drawing on global as well as local resources. “We’re a New York State-based solar industry creator, but we’re obviously trying to do this with national and international companies, as well as work with our universities.  SUNY New Paltz has become a huge partner with the solar consortium.  We have projects ongoing with their students right now, and the professors, to actually help take some of the technologies and research being done in New York State’s labs also, to help make that into this solar industry that we are trying to create.”

Falatyn said the growing excitement over the consortium’s work is justified.  One deal was recently concluded, with a private company.