The solar energy industry could create as many as 440,000 new jobs in the coming years if it meets an ambitious growth target recently laid out by one of its leaders.
A recent announcement from Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, calls for the industry to reach a goal of installing 10 gigawatts of solar capacity each year by 2015.
"The leaders of the solar industry have set this target to show Americans that solar can and will become the nation’s largest source of new electricity generation by 2013. We are already cost competitive with fossil fuels, and by 2015 we expect solar energy to be the lowest cost source of retail electricity in all fifty states," said Resch.
The solar industry posted substantial growth even during the recession, and created about 17,000 jobs in 2009. Installing 10 gigawatts of new capacity per year would be sufficient to bring clean energy to about 2 million additional homes.
Resch also cited the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster as one more reason why it's important for the U.S. to move beyond fossil fuels and into new and cleaner sources of energy.