U.S. Sen.Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Garamendi visit Applied

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Creek, and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, recently visited Applied's California facilities to learn about the company's Energy and Environmental Solutions group.

Congressman Garamendi visited Applied's Fairfield, California Glass Technology Center and showed great interest in the Glass Division's energy conservation technology. Garamendi, California’s former lieutenant governor, has voiced strong support for the environment and for green energy programs. After touring the facilities, Garamendi met with the glass group in a “town hall”-style meeting to answer questions about California energy issues, with particular focus on the recent California Air Resources Board (CARB) AB32 energy bill implementation.

That same day, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell visited Applied Materials’ Santa Clara, California campus to meet with Chairman and CEO Mike Splinter, who led her on a tour of the company’s solar R&D facility to view one of the latest solar PV tools – the SunFab PECVD 5.7 system. The senator viewed a glass loading demonstration involving the system and saw a display of a SunFab solar panel, which at 5.7 square meters is the world’s largest manufactured thin film solar panel. She then was escorted to the company’s SunFab PV lab to inspect the test solar array. Mike and Cantwell were joined by Gary Fazzino, Applied Vice President of Government Relations; Tak Tanaka, Senior Director of Energy and Display Systems Marketing; and others.