Report: 30 Million Solar Homes Would Create 1.77 Million Jobs, $69 Billion in Energy Savings

Originally published at ILSR.org 

Our new report finds that installing rooftop solar panels and community solar systems to serve the equivalent of 30 million American homes would create significant economic benefits — including 1.77 million jobs and $69 billion electricity bill savings over the next five years — while addressing the climate crisis and historic inequities.

The report, “The National Impact of 30 Million Solar Homes: A Vision for an Equitable Economic Recovery Built on Climate Protection and Energy Democracy,” builds on federal policy recommendations developed by the Initiative for Energy Justice, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and Solar United Neighbors as part of the 30 Million Solar Homes campaign.

In addition to creating 1.77 million new solar jobs and reducing energy bills by $69 billion, the report found that enacting the 30 Million Solar Homes policies would over five years:

• Eliminate global warming air pollution equivalent to closing 48 coal-burning power plants or taking 42 million cars off the road for a year.
• Increase new solar capacity nationally by 151 GW.
• Power the equivalent of 20 million households in marginalized communities with local solar.

In the report, these economic and environmental benefits are broken down by state and congressional district. An interactive map further illustrates the local impacts of the 30 Million Solar Homes proposal and gives viewers an opportunity to share the report with their elected officials.

There is already broad-based support for this campaign. More than 330 energy equity, climate, business, environmental, faith, and public health organizations signed a letter to Congress urging the adoption of the 30 Million Solar Homes federal policy recommendations. These recommendations include expanding solar access through low-income energy assistance, making federal solar energy tax credits more equitable, and supporting federal financing and grant programs for local solar deployment. A majority of the federal investments would benefit historically marginalized communities, including environmental justice communities and low- and moderate-income communities.

The report, the interactive map, and other resources are also available on the 30 Million Solar Homes campaign website.

This article was originally posted at ilsr.org. For timely updates, follow John Farrell on Twitter or get the Energy Democracy weekly update.

Photo credit: Jason Edens