For 25 years we have been trying to give birth to the solar sector, and the Toledo region, northern Ohio, is home to one of the three solar platforms on the continent. People go, well, but you don't live in California. I said, no, but I historically represent the glass industry, which advanced into the photovoltaic industry. So the hottest act on Wall Street a couple of years ago was First Solar. A company called Xunlight is about to send out its first shipment to Italy this spring. We have other companies, like Kelsey-Hayes, that are in the process of bringing up their factory floors. There is Nextronics, one of the solar inverter companies that is hiring and looking for financing to expand their operation. There are many companies that didn't exist 25 years ago when we started. So I actually have seen what is happening. But my fear, my fear is that the intellectual property will be stolen; that it will be no different than the automotive industry; that you can't staple it down; that we have to have a balanced trade policy and very tough intellectual property protections.
Marcy Kaptur: “For 25 years we have been trying to give birth to the solar sector, and the Toledo region, northern Ohio, is home to one…”
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Kaptur discusses the growth of the solar industry in Ohio and concerns over intellectual property theft.
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