Tackling the Climate Crisis Means Smart Solar Solutions

This Earth Day, President Biden and the administration are bringing together leaders from across the globe to rally support for building a clean energy economy and addressing the climate crisis. The Leaders’ Summit on Climate is predicated on an urgency felt across the globe that we must find a way to cut emissions in half by 2030.

It is an ambitious but necessary goal. With the right leadership and policies in place, solar + storage can not only help us reduce emissions, but uplift communities and create hundreds of thousands of good jobs.

The United States currently has 97.2 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity installed, reducing carbon emissions by 110 million metric tons annually. That’s the equivalent of taking 24 million vehicles off the road, saving 12 billion gallons of gas, or planting 2 billion trees. These numbers are expected to grow steadily over the next 10 years — with forecasts showing that the U.S. can reach 419 GW of solar capacity by 2030.

But despite these impressive numbers, we will still fall short of President Biden’s emissions and clean energy goals without policy intervention. Achieving 100% clean electricity will require U.S. solar installations to increase by more than 80% beyond what’s currently forecasted over the next 10 years. Now is the time for the administration and Congress to come together and enact policies that boost clean energy deployment and grow the workforce necessary to build it.

The American Jobs Plan is a massive step toward meeting our clean energy goals, but Congress must first deliver legislation and then pass it into law. Earth Day is a reminder of the urgency to act. Investing in solar + storage and clean energy infrastructure can generate hundreds of billions of dollars in private investment and hundreds of thousands of family-supporting jobs to help America build back better. This includes using the tax code to encourage long-term clean energy growth, modernizing the electric grid, prioritizing domestic manufacturing, and investing in a strong, diverse workforce.

SEIA is leading a campaign to ensure that Congress seizes on this opportunity and passes meaningful policies that will accelerate an equitable clean energy transition.

But we cannot do this alone. We need you to send a message to your elected representatives in Washington, urging them to prioritize clean energy in upcoming infrastructure legislation.

These investments are long-term, forward-thinking solutions that will help the solar + storage industry lead our economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, and reach President Biden’s ambitious clean energy goals.

As President Biden approaches his 100th day in office, tackling the climate crisis will continue to be a top priority for his administration and Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. This Earth Day, we look forward to continuing this important work. Together, we can ensure that solar + storage reaches its full potential to curb emissions and create high-quality jobs as we recover from the pandemic and look forward to a more prosperous America.