SunPower, a solar technology company, announced Thursday it is locating its manufacturing operations facility in Milpitas, Ca. in a move that will potentially create 100 new jobs this year.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was on hand for the announcement at the Flextronics facility, an electronics manufacturing services provider in Milpitas that is partnering with SunPower on the project. Also on hand were SunPower CEO Tom Werner and Flextronics President E.C. Sykes.

“I can think of no better way to celebrate Earth Day than to highlight action that is good for both California’s environment and its economy,” Schwarzenegger said, according to CBS5.com. “SunPower is not only enabling homes and businesses to conserve energy and save money by going solar, they are also creating jobs at a time when they are needed most.”

Werner cited Schwarzenegger’s commitment to renewable energy companies as the reason SunPower is remaining in California. He pointed to a bill Schwarzenegger recently signed into law that creates a sales tax exemption for the purchase of green-tech manufacturing equipment.