From Solar Energy to Volvo’s Mexican Plant: Local Efforts and Global Expansion in the Automotive Industry

Solarize, a collaborative of local governments and an energy nonprofit, is offering free webinars to help individuals and businesses connect to sun-powered electricity. The webinar scheduled for May 15 will provide information on how to get started with solar energy.

The process of getting solar energy starts with registration and a free assessment. Installers approved by Solarize will provide a proposal for the installation. This initiative aims to make it easier for people to transition to solar energy and take advantage of the benefits it offers, such as Congress’s federal income tax credit equal to 30% of covered installation costs for this year and future years.

In other news, Volvo recently announced plans to establish a truck plant in Mexico, joining other automotive companies like Freightliner, International Truck, and Kenworth who already manufacture trucks in the country. The existing manufacturers produce tens of thousands of trucks each year in Mexico. Despite the delay in Volvo’s decision to produce in Mexico, spokesman John Mies explained that the company had been focusing on expanding and upgrading existing plants in recent years. The decision to establish the plant in Mexico aligns with Volvo’s growth strategy for the region, taking advantage of the benefits offered by Mexico’s automotive industry.

Additional details about the location and cost of Volvo’s proposed plant in Mexico were not disclosed. For more information and updates on these developments, contact Jeff Sturgeon at jeff.sturgeon@roanoke.com or (540) 981-3251. Subscribe to get the latest local business news delivered for free to your inbox weekly.