The Swine Flew

David, there is also the taxpayer to blame. Part of the reason they are moving most of the operation is because of the noise levels produced by the facility. (Though they are still going to operate making cells) The neighbors couldn't take it. Another case of "not in my backyard" mentality. Everyone wants to go green and make off like they are totally for it, until it happens in their back yard. Another good example is the Cape wind project. A bunch of tree huggers live in the area but they do not want renewables to ruin their vistas. I have the same problem when installing systems. The "wife" doesn't want it to be seen, is a phrase I hear too many times. The installation has to be asteticly pleasing rather than or irregardless of whether or not the location will degrade or hinder the operation of the system. Everyone is used to having powerlines, telephone poles and the like strung up around the neighborhood. An ugly site if you focus on it, but yet no one complains because it is something they are used to from the time they were born. They don't realize that the same attitude has to be taken with renewables. Education, Education, Education.....

Thomas Schmidt, yes that was part of the reason, I live a few towns away from both their original site in Billerica and the site they had to build in Ayer, actually Devens, a small, suburb and ex military base and I had access to local news and actual employees views and information. There had been a debate since the beginning before the building was even built. Protest from the beginning. Since Ayer is considered a rural town, they did not want a large industrial type building in their backyard. Then after years of delegation,they let the company build,still being protested by neighbors. After the plant go up and running, noise levels were above their proposed levels. So parts of the operation had to be shut down and performed elsewhere. Growing silicon wafers is noiseless. So this is why they are still growing and producing cells and having their manufacturing and assembly done elsewhere.......So, since they are actually an overseas company who used an american company to build their plant here in the first place, it only makes sense to send their product to a place near them, overseas. Most of their sales are overseas anyway. Just good business sense I guess.......