California's Push for Rooftop Solar Power Goes Dark - Bloomberg
California's Push for Rooftop Solar Power Goes Dark - Bloomberg
California's Push for Rooftop Solar Panels Isn't Going So Well Right Now
State subsidy cuts combined with high interest rates are slowing solar installations — and costing green jobs.
Baker Home Energy workers install solar panels on a rooftop in Poway, California. Photographer: Sandy Huffaker/Bloomberg
California helped create the US solar industry, subsidizing rooftop panels at a time when the federal fight against climate change had barely begun. Now, it’s leading a sharp sales slowdown that’s threatening widespread adoption.
Installers are slashing jobs. Bankruptcies are mounting. And it’s not just mom & pops feeling the pinch. Solar equipment-maker Enphase Energy Inc., long considered a bellwether for the sector, announced this week it would cut its workforce 10% and close two contract factories, with Chief Executive Officer Badri Kothandaraman citing California’s woes in a letter to staff.
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Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: solar
Declining costs and government encouragement have resulted in a rapid increase in solar energy production in the United States over the past 10 years, although solar’s share remains small: 1.6 percent of all electricity generation in 2018. That rapid growth is projected to continue.