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“Solar is not just expanding today because it’s green or clean — those are side benefits,” Lamon says. “Look at what it can help do to the overall U.S. economy. … We find people making $8, $9 an hour flipping burgers, and we bring them to a solar plant and pay them $18.”  This quote is from the Time magazine article, “A Coal Executive Switched to Building Solar Plants…“

The article goes on to say, the aforementioned coal executive, Jim Lamon’s, company, “Depcom Power employs more than 1,600 people designing, building and operating solar farms with projects spread across the country from blue states like California to red states like Mississippi. Across the industry, more than 250,000 people in total work in solar in the U.S. typically in rural areas.”

DEPCOM construction crews assemble solar modules during the construction of the 55 megawatt Idaho Solar plant. Rusty Hill- SkyBlue Media

“…Lamon believed that low-cost solar would continue to serve as a more affordable energy source than coal and often natural gas no matter what came policy emerged from the White House. Indeed, that’s why he began building solar power plants in the first place. Without subsidies, electricity from large-scale solar power plants currently costs about a third the cost of coal and is about even with natural gas, according to data from the financial advisory firm Lazard. It’s even cheaper with subsidies.” the article continues.

According to Bloomberg and the U.S. Energy Information Administration and thanks in large part to the displacement of coal for cleaner natural gas, wind and solar power, the American electric power industry’s CO2 emissions have fallen to levels not seen since about 1990.

American Electricity CO2 Emissions Lowest Since 1990

The article goes on to say,

The political clean power action is moving from the federal to the state and local level.

“It’s time to let the people decide whether they want clean, affordable energy or the same monopoly fossil fuel system we’ve had for a century. I am confident that voters will send a message that their choice is clear.”

Political, solar vets launch advocacy group to get clean energy on ballots

A recent article in pv magazine states that “Massachusetts is at a crossroads. To keep the state’s solar market moving, the Massachusetts State Legislature must raise the state’s net energy metering caps before the year is out. Despite progress being made to finalize the new incentive program by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), called Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART), the Legislature must act to keep support for solar projects intact.”

According to the article, “Massachusetts policies have helped create nearly 15,000 solar jobs in Massachusetts. That is an impressive number, but it’s also a mere fraction of what’s possible with a long-term, stable NEM policy in place. Furthermore, these policies have made the Bay State a national leader in solar. Massachusetts now ranks 7th in cumulative solar capacity installed, with enough solar energy to power 244,000 Massachusetts homes. All of that solar is lowering customer bills, reducing pollution and helping the Commonwealth meet its electricity needs.”

Massachusetts residents can contact their state reps and senators and tell them to support raising the net metering caps to keep Massachusetts economy moving forward in the right direction.  To find your elected representatives contact info, go to this link.