SAN ANTONIO Texas - The U.S. overtook China last year as the worlds top investor in clean energy. A major solar project in Texas is likely to help firm up that statistic.
CPS Energy plans to add 400 megawatts to its San Antonio-area grid with multiple new solar farms - and the package includes a manufacturing operation that will supply panels and parts to other regions and countries. San Antonio Economic Development Foundation President Mario Hernandez says clean energy has finally become economical and efficient enough to warrant robust investments by public utilities.
Agreeing to invest over $100 million and hire over 800 people in the production of the panels and products that are needed for this system - its just a win-win-win all the way across the board.
The project is expected to power around 80000 homes within the next five years. Average annual pay for the new jobs is estimated at nearly $50000. Hernandez says in addition to the 800 new permanent positions the project will create many temporary construction jobs and countless trickle-down jobs that support the new industry.
Tom Smitty Smith at the Texas office of Public Citizen predicts other cities will soon be following San Antonios lead.
Not only is it going to help reduce energy costs for the city its also going to reduce air pollution and preserve our precious water in times of drought. It was a brilliant move by San Antonios leadership.
Smith says renewable energy has already outpaced nuclear production in the U.S. and he thinks the sector could see even more rapid growth if national and local incentive policies that spur investment and consumer demand are beefed up.
Ethan Zindler head of policy analysis with Bloomberg New Energy Finance says its analysis shows that while China led the world in clean-energy investments in 2010 it was edged out by the U.S. in 2011.
Despite the difficulties of the financial sector in Europe and ongoing economic concerns the industry still managed to attract new capital - about 5 percent more last year.
Zindler says there was a record $260 billion in total clean-energy investment last year in the U.S.
The Bloomberg New Energy Finance report is available at http://ht.ly/8rwC1.
SAN ANTONIO Texas - The U.S. overtook China last year as the worlds top investor in clean energy. A major solar project in Texas is likely to help firm up that statistic.
CPS Energy plans to add 400 megawatts to its San Antonio-area grid with multiple new solar farms - and the package includes a manufacturing operation that will supply panels and parts to other regions and countries. San Antonio Economic Development Foundation President Mario Hernandez says clean energy has finally become economical and efficient enough to warrant robust investments by public utilities.
Agreeing to invest over $100 million and hire over 800 people in the production of the panels and products that are needed for this system - its just a win-win-win all the way across the board.
The project is expected to power around 80000 homes within the next five years. Average annual pay for the new jobs is estimated at nearly $50000. Hernandez says in addition to the 800 new permanent positions the project will create many temporary construction jobs and countless trickle-down jobs that support the new industry.
Tom Smitty Smith at the Texas office of Public Citizen predicts other cities will soon be following San Antonios lead.
Not only is it going to help reduce energy costs for the city its also going to reduce air pollution and preserve our precious water in times of drought. It was a brilliant move by San Antonios leadership.
Smith says renewable energy has already outpaced nuclear production in the U.S. and he thinks the sector could see even more rapid growth if national and local incentive policies that spur investment and consumer demand are beefed up.
Ethan Zindler head of policy analysis with Bloomberg New Energy Finance says its analysis shows that while China led the world in clean-energy investments in 2010 it was edged out by the U.S. in 2011.
Despite the difficulties of the financial sector in Europe and ongoing economic concerns the industry still managed to attract new capital - about 5 percent more last year.
Zindler says there was a record $260 billion in total clean-energy investment last year in the U.S.
The Bloomberg New Energy Finance report is available at http://ht.ly/8rwC1.
