Going Big on Solar Energy

Going Big On Solar Energy

It’s time for Texas to make a change!

It’s time for Texas to go big on solar power.  Today more Texans are going solar to meet our energy needs in a way that’s clean, local, and independent.  Solar power has tripled in the United States in the last two years with estimates that another family or business is going solar every four minutes.  That’s in part because the price of solar has dropped more than 50 percent in recent years which, in turn, has increased continued solar energy growth estimates to double every two years.  

Some other impressive solar energy facts include:

1. Yearly energy potential from sunshine dwarfs total energy potential from any other source.
2. Approximately 66% of installed world solar power capacity has been installed in the past 2.5 years.
3. Global solar power capacity grew from about 2.2 GW in 2002 to 100 GW in 2012.
4. There are now about 1.36 million jobs in the global solar industry.
5. The sunshine hitting Texas in one month contains more energy than all the oil and gas ever pumped out of the state.

Who's attacking solar?

Solar power’s rapid growth has alarmed some dirty energy companies, who have turn, begun to attack the solar industry.  They keep putting up new roadblocks to solar so they can keep solar generating less than three percent of our energy, even if it means more pollution and more global warming.  Some of the larger oil and gas companies, along with their allies, have spent heavily to impose new taxes on home owners who go solar, in effect, penalizing those who reduce their pollution trying to leave a positive impact on the environment.  Even states such as Oklahoma, Arizona, and Ohio already have moved to scale back solar programs due to pressure from the oil and gas industry.  

Continue the Solar Surge

Solar power might disrupt the business plans of dirty energy companies, but it makes a ton of sense for Texas.  People from all walks of life are getting behind solar energy, from solar entrepreneurs and environmentalists to political party activists.  The challenge is to not only fend off the attacks being led by the dirty energy lobby, but to keep the surge in solar power going strong by creating a better awareness and education.  The education of our children at a young age will help them to leave their environmental footprint along with a positive impact on the planet.   As time goes by and as technology advances, solar energy will be harnessed quite easily than ever before.

How do we do it?

Research shows the cities and states with the most solar power aren’t necessarily the ones with the most sunshine; they also include states with smart pro-solar policies.  Arizona, Hawaii and California are all on the list of the top ten states for solar power according to recent reporting.  Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado and Delaware also made the list all thanks to involved smart policy makers.  The top ten solar states, with only 26 percent of the nation’s population, were responsible for 87 percent of the nation’s solar power.  All of the states shared a set of smart policies from strong clean energy standards to policies that let solar homeowners sell their extra power back to the utility companies.  

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