Ricky Junquera, Ricky.Junquera@sierraclub.org, 617-599-7048
INDIANAPOLIS -- As a new report released today revealed that Indiana has more jobs in the solar industry than in coal mining, President Trump signed an executive order to begin repealing the landmark Clean Power Plan, which would incentivize more clean energy job growth in America.
Indiana gained more than 1,000 new jobs in the solar industry last year, according to a report released today by The Solar Foundation. Indiana is now home to more than 2,700 solar jobs, an increase of 72% from the 1,567 jobs in the 2015 survey.
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.
Meanwhile, the Indiana House Utilities Committee on Wednesday is expected to vote on legislation that would hinder the growth of customer-owned rooftop solar power, which is generating many of the new solar jobs in Indiana. Senate Bill 309 would reduce the credits that solar owners receive on their bill for excess energy they feed into power lines for their neighbors.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, coal mining employs just 2,500 people in Indiana. The Solar Foundation survey includes both installation and construction jobs and non-installation jobs, including manufacturing, sales and distribution, project development, and other occupations that support the solar industry.
“Today should have been a day to celebrate how far Indiana and the country have come in moving our economy into the 21st Century. Instead, we are fighting efforts to move our state away from clean energy and important safeguards that protect all Americans from pollution,” said Jodi Perras, manager of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign in Indiana.
“Coal is part of our history, but it’s not our future. Solar power is a growth industry and Indiana needs to keep moving forward -- despite Trump’s executive orders and Indiana’s utility companies wanting to preserve their monopoly of our energy supply."
The Clean Power Plan set goals for each state to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from existing power plants, and includes companion incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will have to begin a new process to roll back the Clean Power Plan -- a process that will require public comment and evidence consistent with Clean Air Act requirements.
“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,” Perras said. “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. Trump can’t reverse our clean energy progress 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 several cities across Indiana; including Indianapolis. 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.