These are very active times for the solar industry. With layoffs here and jobs added there, some states are out of funding, even while federal funding increases. There is enough solar news going round to fill a hundred newspapers twice over. At the heart of the issue are U.S. states, which have long been the main catalyst behind the U.S. solar industry, many which now face dire economic straits.

So with times at their hardest (we hope) and renewable energy seen as a potential gift horse for a struggling economy, many states are competing for attention in the burgeoning solar industry. We begin in the East:

• In Massachussetts, hundreds of solar, wind, and other renewable energy projects are vying for the state’s alloted federal stimulus funds.
• New York utility Con Edison is seeking state approval for a pilot program that would put 12 megawatts of solar electricity on commercial and residential rooftops throughout its service area.



• New Jersey’s most visually stimulating and power consuming city — Atlantic City — will be the location of the nation’s largest single rooftop solar electric system. It will provide more than a quarter of the power for Atlantic City’s new convention center.
• Tennessee is hoping to gain some more recognition in the solar industry by opening a new solar institute to research and develop new solar energy technologies and programs.
• Texas or, more specifically, Austin Energy plans a 320-acre, 30 MW solar photovoltaic plant that will produce enough power each year to power roughly 5,000 homes in the Austin area — yet another solar project vying for bragging rights as the largest in the United States.

Want to help your state grow solar? Get free estimates from qualified, local solar installers today.

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Posted on March 16th in Solar News by Dan.