PetersenDean Solar was joined by Assemblyman Bob 
Wieckowski and over 100 local business leaders at the 2011 Business Summit sponsored by Fremont, Newark and Union City Chambers of Commerce. The summit focused on a roundtable discussion with local business owners, industry leaders and government officials to collect ideas to build up the local economy and bring new jobs to the community. Wieckowski, who represents the 20th Assembly District in the California State Legislature, announced a new “Made in California Jobs Initiative” program. The plan is to revitalize California’s economy through targeted incentives, streamlining government and investing in emerging technologies such as clean energy, biotech and medical research.
The Jobs Initiative Plan, a 7-Point strategy, includes support of California’s Green and Clean Technology Industries, an essential issue to alternative energy companies like PetersenDean Solar, Inc., the nation’s largest private provider of solar solutions. “I am encouraged to know that someone like Assemblyman Wieckowski, who serves as the co-chair of the Assembly Select Committee on California’s Clean Energy Economy takes this kind of interest in job creation for local communities,” says Jim Petersen, CEO and founder of PetersenDean Solar, Inc. “We need the support of our elected officials to represent local employers in alternative energy.”
Current legislation of particular interest to alternative energy providers in California is the Assembly Bill 1314 – Renewable Energy Act which allows clean technology projects to be funded faster and in turn spurs the economy. According to Jim Petersen, “We have seen it in our own business, people want to enjoy clean energy but it needs to be affordable. When government helps people get the funding they need to afford alternative energy, it leaves us less dependent on foreign and domestic oil and encourages people to fulfill their alternative energy needs.” Assemblyman Wieckowski’s focus is to provide the proper incentives to create jobs and grow the economy. “We at PetersenDean are interested in job creation because we employ real people to do our work and not robots,” says Petersen. “Government support for clean energy stimulates the clean energy economy and that means we can put more people on the payroll.”