Going Green While We’re In The Red

Although our economy remains to be weak, there’s one bright side to this – U.S. solar power companies have increased their revenue by 36% last year, while adding 17,000 jobs.

Why the sunny outlook for this business sector? Grants and tax breaks which were included in the economic stimulus bill. If the government extended this assistance, the result could easily create another 200,000 jobs in the solary industry (along with solar supporting businesses), according a study done by the Solary Energy Industries Association.

You might get a charge to hear these statistics as well, if you’re still reading:

• As of February 2010, 182 solar projects have received Treasury grants of $81 million. The program which lowers transaction costs for solar projects is set to end in December 2010
• Extending the Treasury Grant program for another 2 years would increase U.S. investment in solar electric technologies by $21 billion and create 67,000 jobs in 2015
• The stimulus bill created an investment tax credit for manufacturers of equipment that make renewable energy components. The Department of Energy in January 2010 awarded $2.3 billion of these tax credits to 183 porjects (60 of these were factories that supply the solar industry). Funding for this program has been exhausted

So, there you have it, solar generating jobs…I love clean power!