Washington, D.C. - North Carolina Congressmen Bob Etheridge (NC-02), David Price (NC-04), and Brad Miller (NC-13) teamed with Senator Kay Hagan today to announce a $3 million grant to North Carolina State University's Mid-Atlantic Joint Excellence in Solar Training Consortia (MAJESTC) project.

"North Carolina has always been a leader in scientific research, and this investment will help put North Carolina at the forefront of training our future solar technology engineers," said Hagan. "These types of investments will help create jobs in the state and decrease our dependence on foreign oil."

The grant is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress earlier this year.

"I am pleased to see Recovery Act investments are laying the foundation for new green industries that will provide good, high-paying jobs right here in the Triangle," Congressman David Price said. "Clean energy is going to be a big part of the twenty-first century economy, and our world-class research institutions in North Carolina are leading the way."

MAJESTC trains community college instructors to incorporate solar energy training in their curriculums for electricians and plumbers, providing the necessary background for graduates to support the quickly developing solar energy field.

"This grant will be used to support clean energy solutions to create jobs and build a new economy," Etheridge said. "North Carolina will continue to be a leader in this field because we have the technology, the training and the determination to put people to work and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

The grants, which will be administered by the Department of Energy, were awarded as a part of $50 million in Recovery Act funds distributed today to support the development of new solar energy technologies and the rapid deployment of available carbon-free solar energy systems.

"The MAJESTC program makes North Carolina a leader in technology critical to the future," said Rep. Brad Miller (NC-13). "By training people to install new solar technology we are creating the next generation of jobs, and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and dirty fuels."

More than $4 billion has been invested in North Carolina as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Federal investments have gone to a wide range of projects including road construction, clean energy grants, medical and disease research and support for vital state and local government programs.

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