▁appropri ated ▁$ 4 5 7 ▁million . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy ' s ▁appropri ation ▁request ▁for ▁that ▁year , ▁" The ▁program ▁also ▁encourag es ▁Systems ▁Integr ation ▁by ▁developing ▁rad ically ▁new ▁approaches ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁cost ▁and ▁improve ▁reli ability ▁and ▁functionality ▁of ▁power ▁electron ics ▁and ▁supporting ▁industry ▁development ▁through ▁test ▁and ▁evaluation ▁standards , ▁and ▁tools ▁for ▁understanding ▁grid ▁integration ▁issues ." ▁ ▁Sol ar City ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁collaboration ▁with ▁the ▁program ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁Energy ▁Department ' s ▁National ▁Ren ew able ▁Energy ▁Labor atory ▁and ▁Hawai ian ▁Electric ▁Indust ries . ▁Using ▁government ▁and ▁tax p ayer ▁funds , ▁Sol ar City ▁helped ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁Hawai i ▁resident ial ▁customers ▁connect ▁their ▁solar ▁power ▁systems ▁to ▁the ▁grid ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁Lit ig ation ▁and ▁investig ations ▁ ▁Buff alo ▁Bill ion ▁Buff alo ▁Bill ion ▁is ▁a ▁billion - d ollar ▁program ▁from ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁G ov . ▁Andrew ▁Cu omo ▁to ▁rev ital ize ▁Buff alo , ▁New ▁York . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁features ▁of ▁the ▁program ▁is ▁a ▁ 1 . 2 ▁million ▁square ▁foot ▁solar ▁panel ▁factory ▁called ▁Sol ar City ▁River B end . ▁It ▁will ▁be ▁owned ▁by ▁Sol ar City . ▁The ▁factory ▁" is ▁expected ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁largest ▁manufact uring ▁facility ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁Hem is phere ▁when ▁it ▁opens ". ▁H iring ▁for