The growth of the renewable energy industry is a genie that President Trump can’t put back in the bottle. A recent report by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) found that an estimated 4 to 4.5 million people are employed in clean energy industry jobs in the US. Employment in solar and wind have grown by 20 percent since 2012, 12 times faster than the rest of the US economy.

There is no better time to install solar on a home than during construction or when an owner has to repair or replace their roof. That is why LA Solar Group has launched the Empower Plan which unifies residential solar array installation with roof repairs and replacements under the same financing plan at no extra cost to customers. 

Non-profit solar developer, GRID Alternatives announced that the Wells Fargo Foundation will provide a four-year, $2 million grant to install solar in low-income communities. GRID will use the funds to continue development of its low-income solar business models, as well as expand its programs to new regions of the country.

In a move to stimulate more of the clean energy economy in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced a two-year, $15 million proposal to provide rebates of up to $6,000 to residential owners who install geothermal heat pumps in their homes. Developed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the proposed plan also expedites the installation of renewable heating and cooling technology by reducing barriers to the technologies.

UPS will invest $18 million to add roughly 10 megawatts of solar power across eight of its facilities across the US by the end of 2017. The solar arrays, which will be owned by UPS, are expected to produce 50 percent of the daily energy needs for each building. Consisting of more than 26,000 photovoltaic solar panels, the installations’ combined output is expected to reduce carbon emissions by almost 8,200 metric tons per year.

Solar power is taking root in Wisconsin and solar advocates are taking notice. The 14 site, 18-megawatt Dairyland Power Cooperative/SoCore Energy solar project in Wisconsin and Iowa was named one of four recipients of the 2016 Project of Distinction Award by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA). Developed and constructed by SoCore and TRC Companies, the projects range from 600 kilowatts to 2.75 megawatts and are expected to generate electricity to power 2,500 homes.

Team Las Vegas, a group of students and faculty from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV), are designing a solar-powered, energy efficient to compete for cash prizes at the Solar Decathlon 2017 in Denver. Their house is aimed at meeting the needs of the coming senior population in the US, know as the “Gray Tsunami.” The team behind the house has now raised $750,000 of the $1 million they anticipate the house’s design, construction and transportation will cost through crowd-funding and support from multiple donors.

In a big win for renewable energy, both bodies of the Democrat-controlled Maryland General Assembly restored the Clean Energy Jobs Act by voting to overturn Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) veto of the bill in April 2016. The bill, which becomes law, is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs statewide and requires Maryland to obtain 25 percent of its power from renewable energy sources by 2020, up from the current mandate of 20 percent by 2022.

Solar advocates are applauding Massachusetts’ legislative proposal to extend the Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC 2) program into the summer of 2017. The state’s Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced the proposed extension after the incentive program helped develop more than 1.6 gigawatts of solar. The plan will also address the transition and implementation of its successor program, currently known as the next generation incentive program. 

WPPI Energy and NextEra Energy Resources will construct Wisconsin’s largest solar farm on land adjacent to the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Two Rivers. The 100-megawatt Point Beach Solar Energy Center is expected to provide 23,000 customers with clean energy and will come online 2021. During its construction, it will create 150 to 200 jobs and is expected to boost the local economy.