Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumUS Solar Energy Industry Achieves Record-Shattering Year
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/271-38/29030-us-solar-energy-industry-achieves-record-shattering-yearRemarkably, Americas solar energy industry, which continues to grow at a very brisk pace, now has more employees than tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter combined. And to top it all off, 2014 turned out to be another record-shattering year!
GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) have just released the U.S. Solar Market Insight 2014 Year in Review report, the definitive source of installation data, forecasting and policy analysis for the U.S. solar market. Newly installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity for the year reached a record 6,201 megawatts (MW), growing 30 percent over 2013s total. An additional 767 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) came on-line in the same period.
Solar accounted for one-third of our nations new generating capacity in 2014, beating out both wind energy and coal for the second year in a row. Only natural gas constituted a greater share of new generating capacity.
Without question, the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) has helped to fuel our industrys tremendous growth. Since the ITC was passed in 2006, more than 150,000 solar jobs have been created in America, and $66 billion has been invested in solar installations nationwide. We now have 20 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacityenough to power 4 million U.S. homesand were helping to reduce harmful carbon emissions by 20 million metric tons a year. By any measurement, the ITC has been a huge success for both our economy and environment.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 708 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (9)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
US Solar Energy Industry Achieves Record-Shattering Year (Original Post)
eridani
Apr 2015
OP
President Obama just announced 75000 new jobs in solar by 2020 - including more veterans
RiverLover
Apr 2015
#2
phantom power
(25,966 posts)1. It's an industry that scales directly with labor, so not very surprising.
If you want to install more panels, you have to have more people. Comparing it to software companies, or software-as-a-service companies, isn't very illuminating.
I think I see more houses with panels on them in the last year or so, but not scientific of course.
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)2. President Obama just announced 75000 new jobs in solar by 2020 - including more veterans
75,000 New Jobs to Enter Solar Workforce, Including Military Veterans
4/3/2015
Today, there are nearly 17,000 veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who are working in the solar energy industry. Well, that number is about to grow substantially.
In a decision thats certain to help to speed up Americas transition to a clean energy future, President Obama announced today that the Department of Energy (DOE) will launch a new initiative to train 75,000 Americansincluding military veteransto enter the solar workforce by 2020. The President made the announcement at Hill Air Force Base in Utah as part of a roundtable discussion on clean energy technology and workforce training with Sen. Orin Hatch, Congressman Rob Bishop and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker.
This new initiative will provide a big boost to the U.S. economy, while also helping to maintain solar energys explosive jobs growth. Ill make this promise: With stable public policies in place, we will not only meet the Presidents goal of adding 75,000 new solar jobs in America by 2020, but we will blow past it!
Today, the solar industry already employs 174,000 workers nationwidemore than tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter combinedand pumps nearly $18 billion a year into our economy. This remarkable growth is due, in large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Net Energy Metering (NEM) and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). By any measurement, these policies are paying huge dividends for both our economy and environment.
...Every 2.5 minutes of every single day, the U.S. solar industry is helping to fight climate change by flipping the switch on another completed solar project. Were proud that solar accounted for one-third of all new electric generation capacity last year in the U.S. And, frankly, were just scratching the surface of our industrys enormous potential. As the old saying goes, the skys the limit.
http://ecowatch.com/2015/04/03/new-jobs-solar-veterans/
4/3/2015
Today, there are nearly 17,000 veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who are working in the solar energy industry. Well, that number is about to grow substantially.
In a decision thats certain to help to speed up Americas transition to a clean energy future, President Obama announced today that the Department of Energy (DOE) will launch a new initiative to train 75,000 Americansincluding military veteransto enter the solar workforce by 2020. The President made the announcement at Hill Air Force Base in Utah as part of a roundtable discussion on clean energy technology and workforce training with Sen. Orin Hatch, Congressman Rob Bishop and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker.
This new initiative will provide a big boost to the U.S. economy, while also helping to maintain solar energys explosive jobs growth. Ill make this promise: With stable public policies in place, we will not only meet the Presidents goal of adding 75,000 new solar jobs in America by 2020, but we will blow past it!
Today, the solar industry already employs 174,000 workers nationwidemore than tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter combinedand pumps nearly $18 billion a year into our economy. This remarkable growth is due, in large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Net Energy Metering (NEM) and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). By any measurement, these policies are paying huge dividends for both our economy and environment.
...Every 2.5 minutes of every single day, the U.S. solar industry is helping to fight climate change by flipping the switch on another completed solar project. Were proud that solar accounted for one-third of all new electric generation capacity last year in the U.S. And, frankly, were just scratching the surface of our industrys enormous potential. As the old saying goes, the skys the limit.
http://ecowatch.com/2015/04/03/new-jobs-solar-veterans/
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)3. GREAT news! So hopeful.
Thanks eridani! I love your posts.