Solar Industry Vows to Lead Power Generation in the 2020s

WASHINGTON, D.C. - When energy and climate analysts look back on the 2020s, they will see a transformed energy landscape dominated by new solar energy generation, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said in recognition of the start of the Solar+ Decade.

"The 2010s were filled with more highs than lows, and the solar industry is in a strong position to become the leading source of new energy generation this decade,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO. “Working in collaboration with other clean energy technologies, including storage, solar will lead a clean energy economic boom while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Late last year, SEIA announced an aggressive goal for solar power to reach 20% of all U.S. electricity generation by 2030, naming the 2020s the Solar+ Decade. By 2030, the industry expects to double the U.S. solar workforce, add $345 billion in private investment, and offset electricity sector emissions by 35%.

Diversity and inclusion work will continue to be a core part of SEIA’s work, and new partners and voices at the table will help the solar industry overcome persistent challenges such as grid modernization and permitting and interconnection. SEIA will also continue its work on state and federal policies that promote fair market rules and allow renewables to compete, resulting in greater transparency and better outcomes for customers.

“There’s no question we will need state, regional and federal policies and market rules that signal a commitment to competition and more sustainable energy generation,” Ms. Hopper said. “We are excited to work with anyone who shares our vision for job-creating, equitable, climate conscious, economy-building energy policies that will lead us through the Solar+ Decade and to a new energy paradigm for our nation and the world.”