Ricky Junquera, Ricky.Junquera@sierraclub.org, 617-599-7048
DETROIT, MI - As a new report from the Solar Foundation revealed a 71 percent increase in metro Detroit solar industry jobs, President Trump signed an executive order to begin repealing the landmark Clean Power Plan, which incentivizes clean energy jobs.
Detroit created more than 800 new jobs in the state’s growing solar industry last year, according to a report released today by The Solar Foundation. The area saw an increase of 71 percent from 2015 figures, totaling more than 2,000 jobs. The Solar Foundation report cites both installation and construction jobs, as well as non-installation jobs, like manufacturing, sales and distribution, project development, and other occupations that support the solar industry.
Donald Trump’s executive order issued today begins to reverse Obama-era actions to combat the climate crisis and protect clean air and water, including reversing the Clean Power Plan, rolling back clean air requirements for the oil and gas industry, and rescinding guidance that directs federal agencies to account for the climate crisis.
“Today should have been a day to celebrate how far Detroit, and the country, have come in moving our energy economy into the 21st Century. Instead, we are stepping in the wrong direction away from jobs and away from protecting Americans from deadly pollution,” said Regina Strong, Director of the Michigan Beyond Coal Campaign for the Sierra Club.
“The clean energy economy is rapidly growing in both red and blue states, creating jobs and safeguarding our air and water. Trump’s sweeping order is the single biggest attack on climate action in U.S. history; attempting to throw out safeguards curbing dangerous carbon pollution and reducing other dangerous pollutants like mercury, methane, and sulfur dioxide.”
“The safeguards Trump wants to undo -- like the Clean Power Plan -- are on a strong legal footing and the public will have the chance to voice its objections as the Trump administration tries to roll them back. He can’t reverse our clean energy and clean energy jobs with the stroke of a pen,”
The Solar Foundation report findings highlight the enormous jobs potential for a transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy in Detroit, and in Michigan. 25 U.S. cities have now committed to transition entirely to clean and renewable energy between 2030 and 2035. Cities including major metropolises like San Diego and Salt Lake City, and smaller towns like Georgetown, Texas and Abita Springs, Louisiana, are among the places that have made the commitment.
In February, The Solar Foundation released its 2016 National Solar Jobs Census, which found that the U.S. solar industry employed 260,077 workers. This figure includes the addition of over 51,000 solar workers over the previous year, representing a 25 percent growth in employment from 2015. Over the next 12 months, employers surveyed expect to see total solar industry employment increase by 10 percent to 286,335 solar workers.