California Solar Businesses Ready to Roll with Clean Power
Media Contacts
Environment California
Los Angeles, CA – Dozens of California solar businesses issued a letter to the White House today, endorsing limits on carbon pollution from power plants and advocating that solar energy become a focal point of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Clean Power Plan.
“As solar power installers, manufacturers, designers, aggregators, product suppliers, and consultants, we welcome the EPA’s unveiling of the Clean Power Plan,” reads the letter, organized by the advocacy group Environment California. “This plan is a critical step toward transforming our energy system to one that protects our health and environment, and that of our children.”
To address the growing threat of climate change, in June the U.S. EPA proposed its Clean Power Plan, which would require power plants in California to cut carbon emissions 23 percent by 2030. The plan is open for public comment until December 1st, and could be finalized by next year.
States will have the flexibility to meet the limits introduced by the Clean Power Plan as they choose. Businesses signing the letter said the proposal could dramatically accelerate the development of clean energy across California.
“We’re very supportive of the Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions,” said Adam Boucher, CEO of Promise Energy, one of several signatories from across California. “We have nearly unlimited opportunity to create good-paying jobs building local solar projects that will lower energy bills, improve health, and strengthen our economy. This is a true win-win situation.”
Solar power is on the rise across the state, where it’s grown an average of 50%/year each of the last three years. According to the latest solar jobs census from the Solar Foundation, the solar industry employed more than 47,000 people in California in 2013.
“Last year California installed more rooftop solar than the previous 30 years combined and most of these projects were accomplished without any utility rebate, a sign of good policies and how much we’ve achieved,” said Walker Wright, Director of Public Policy for Sunrun, one of the nation’s largest home solar companies. “As the industry continues to drive down costs to attract more customers who become local clean energy generators we’re only scratching the surface of our potential in making the transformation to a true green economy.
Environment California’s counterparts around the country recruited more than 500 solar businesses nationwide to the sign the letter, which was delivered today to the White House.
“The climate crisis demands that we fulfill our vast potential for solar energy,” said Michelle Kinman, clean energy advocate with Environment California, “and the businesses here in California and across the nation are ready to rise to the challenge.”
