A new report by the Environment New York Research and Policy Centre shows the massive solar boom happening in the USA. The report makes it clear that the huge increases are as a result of supportive and effective public policy.

Solar has increased more than 120-fold in the USA in the last 10 years – from 97MWs in 2003 to 12 000MWs at the end of 2013. The price of installing a solar system has also dropped 60 percent between the beginning of 2011 and the end of 2013.

The Top 10 states with the most solar electricity installed per capita at the end of 2013 were Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and North Carolina.

The report says, “The top 10 states with the most solar electricity installed per capita account for only 26 percent of the U.S. population but 87 percent of the nation’s total installed solar electricity capacity.”

“These 10 states possess strong policies that are enabling increasing numbers of homeowners, businesses, communities and utilities to ‘go solar.’”

As a result of the solar industry booming jobs in the sector are also thriving with more than 140 000 people in solar jobs last year. It has been said that there are more solar workers than coal miners now in the U.S.

New York alone has triple its solar power capacity going from 175MWs in 2011 to 250MWs in 2013.

“Solar energy is emerging as a go-to energy option here in New York and across the country,” said Heather Leibowitz, Director of Environment New York. “Thanks to the commitment of New York’s leaders, this pollution-free energy option is poised to play a major role in helping us meet New York’s goal of a 44% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.”

According to Environment New York, “Several strong policies adopted by the top 10 solar states, like New York helped encourage homeowners and businesses to “go solar:”

• 9 states have strong net metering policies. In nearly all of the leading states, consumers are compensated at the full retail rate for the excess electricity they supply to the grid.
• 9 states have strong statewide interconnection policies. Good interconnection policies reduce the time and hassle required for individuals and companies to connect solar energy systems to the grid.
• All 10 states have renewable electricity standards that set minimum requirements for the share of a utility’s electricity that must come from renewable sources, and 8 of them have solar carve-outs that set specific targets for solar or other forms of clean, distributed electricity.
• 9 states allow for creative financing options such as third-party power purchase agreements, and 8 allow property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing.”

Click here to download a copy of the New York Environment report, “Lighting the Way.”