Charlie Gay

Charlie Gay was the CEO of Violet Power, a solar manufacturing startup that planned to establish a high-efficiency solar cell and module production facility in Moses Lake, Washington. He has over 45 years of experience in the solar industry.1 Gay was one of the first employees at ARCO Solar, which opened the first large-scale commercial solar manufacturing factory in 1980. Prior to joining Violet Power, he served as the director of the Solar Energy Technology Office with the U.S. Department of Energy.1

However, Gay's tenure at Violet Power was short-lived. According to his LinkedIn profile, he left the company in January 2021, just a few months after the company's initial announcements.2 After leaving Violet Power, Gay joined Galaxy Trade and Technology LLC as Senior Vice President and President of its new Energy Division in March 2022.2

It's worth noting that Violet Power faced significant challenges and did not deliver on its ambitious plans. The company's partnership with REC Silicon was terminated, and there were doubts about its ability to secure funding for its proposed manufacturing facility.2 By December 2021, local news sources reported that the "much-touted solar start-up Violet Power never really started".2