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Business & Tech

Local Small Businessman Interviewed on CNN About Solar Power, Debt Crisis

Bill Snapp talks to CNN about his Watkinsville business, SolarFlex Technologies, and the impact the economy and credit downgrade could have on his business and the demand for renewable energy.

Renewable energy businesses will need to expand drastically to support future demands from U.S. consumers, but the economy and budgetary decisions in Washington are making it hard for smaller companies to grow, according to Bill Snapp, the CEO of Watkinsville-based SolarFlex Technologies.

SolarFlex Technologies offers a wide range of solar energy construction needs, from site selection and energy projections to planning and installation, to make a solar panel array produce electricity that can be used in a traditional setting.

In an interview with CNN Newsroom's Suzanne Malveaux and Fredricka Whitfield on Aug. 3 and July 28, Snapp explained how some of his larger clients, like the U.S. military and government, may have less revenue to spend on renewable energy in the years ahead.

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“Budget cuts are needed, but not at the expense of a smart energy future,” Snapp said in a company press release.

For example, every military base in the country is mandated to work toward using 25 percent of its energy from renewable energy sources, like wind or solar power, Snapp said.

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“For the military, (the 25 percent renewable energy goal) is very difficult. If they have these cuts, we're going to see our incremental business shrink,” Snapp said on CNN. “This is hard for me because I'm trying to plan a budget for personnel."

Snapp also said the United States credit downgrade could make it difficult for him to purchase inventory with a loan from a bank, further complicating the way he conducts business.

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