White House Announces New Initiative to Expand Solar Access
Includes advancing employment opportunities in the solar industry
WASHINGTON — The White House has announced a new initiative to increase access to solar energy for all Americans, in particular low- and moderate-income communities, while expanding opportunities to join the solar workforce.
According to the Obama administration, last year the United States brought online as much solar energy every three weeks as it did in all of 2008, and the solar industry added jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy. And since the beginning of 2010, the average cost of a solar electric system has dropped by 50 percent. This solar initiative is designed to bring solar to more Americans, including those who are renters, lack the capital to invest in solar, or do not have adequate information on how to transition to solar energy. The key components of the initiative include: