Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018 | 2 a.m.
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There’s no question that Nevada has overwhelmingly benefited from the rise of solar energy technology. Solar energy is clean, renewable and easy to harvest — and Nevada is blessed to have no shortage of sunshine. The solar industry has matured in recent years, now employing 8,371 people statewide (7,031 of whom live in Clark County) — the fourth most in the nation and the second most per capita. Nearly 95 percent of solar jobs in Nevada are in the installation, sales, distribution and project development sectors, all of which heavily depend on the availability of affordable solar panels. Veterans hold roughly 12 percent of Nevada solar jobs.
During his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump declared the end of the so-called war on “beautiful, clean coal.” But what concerns me are the new attacks on renewable energy that have emerged over the past year under this Republican-controlled Congress and White House.
Last month, the Trump administration slapped a harmful 30 percent tariff on imported solar panels, a reckless move that threatens a $28 billion industry that depends on parts made abroad. Nevada’s solar industry is bracing for job losses.
This isn’t the first time Trump has undermined clean energy to protect the profits of his allies in the fossil fuel industry. The administration is proposing deep budget cuts to the Energy Department’s renewable energy and energy-efficiency programs. Trump wants to slash this clean energy research funding by more than 65 percent, from the current $2 billion to $696 million.
Instead of bolstering a booming industry where we could be a global leader, Trump seems to be trying to broadly undermine clean energy to preserve outdated fossil fuels. This agenda comes at the expense of the American people’s health and the strength of our economy.
If the White House continues down this path, we risk losing good-paying Nevada jobs and slowing our state’s transition to clean energy. For decades, we have fought to diversify Nevada’s industries to build a more sustainable and resilient economy. Solar is helping us with that fight in Nevada.
In Congress, I have defended solar energy to safeguard the economic and environmental future of Nevada, and I will continue to do so. I am co-sponsoring two bills that will strengthen solar energy: the Community College Energy Training Act and the Green Bank Act.
The Community College Energy Training Act would establish a program for workforce training and education in sustainable energy at community colleges. The Green Bank Act would create a National Green Bank that provides financing support to regional, state and municipal green banks to fund clean energy and energy efficient projects.
Efforts to establish green banks have received support from leaders in both parties. Last year, Gov. Brian Sandoval signed legislation creating the first-ever Nevada Clean Energy Fund. The single greatest barrier for green bank growth is a lack of access to capital, making a national green bank necessary to support municipal and state green banks, like Nevada’s.
I’ve seen firsthand the dramatic savings that solar energy can generate. As the former president of Congregation Ner Tamid in Henderson, I helped lead a team to construct of one of the largest solar installations by a nonprofit in Southern Nevada through a public-private partnership. With our solar project, we slashed energy costs by up to 70 percent a year
Solar technology is going to drive Nevada’s clean energy future, and this administration needs to get out of the way or work with us to support this industry. We need policies in Washington that help Nevada speed up our transition to solar, not slow us down.
Jacky Rosen represents Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District in the House of Representatives.
