Making Communities Aware of the Untapped Benefits of Solar: Jobs, Tax Income and More

Just 3% of our nation’s energy supply comes from solar, and the industry already?employs over 250,000 people. Solar and other clean energy?job growth is outpacing the rest of the economy, with jobs that pay more than the national average, can’t be outsourced and are often available to people without college degrees. Now, the sector is set to take off in an unprecedented way, adding?millions of jobs.?

?Solar is already competitive economically with fossil fuels, and deployment is growing rapidly. Growth will be accelerated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA); its $370 billion investment in tackling climate change is projected to increase large-scale solar deployment to?five times its current rate. By 2030, the US could be getting 30% of our energy from solar.

But not enough Americans are embracing solar projects in their communities. That means they’re missing a massive opportunity for jobs, large infusions of money and a host of other benefits. As an industry, we need to promote these benefits to communities, so that they understand the benefits of local solar projects.

Siting challenges for commercial and utility-scale solar

While we can meet a good percentage of our nation’s energy needs with rooftop solar, we also need solar farms, which can power homes and businesses in the communities where they’re sited. Some large solar farms can generate enough clean energy to power thousands of homes. Locally sited solar farms provide significant benefits to communities that are simply not possible with remotely sited projects.

?It’s important to ensure that people understand these benefits, because many solar projects still encounter local opposition — just as power lines, which are now ubiquitous, did when they were first deployed. Communities may be concerned about the loss of sensitive habitats or farmland and worried that scenery will be ruined. These concerns are valid, but those opposing solar projects often have misconceptions about the projects — and they may not be aware of what they’re missing out by rejecting local solar.

We need to make communities aware of the reality: locally sited solar projects provide jobs that can’t be outsourced, significant income for communities from taxes and other economic stimulation and local environmental benefits. They also give a big boost to community resilience and energy independence. And by avoiding expensive, inefficient?long-distance transmission lines, they can help lower electricity bills for residents and businesses.

Benefits embodied in a West Virginia solar farm

To get communities to sign on to local solar projects, it’s critical to give them concrete examples of their many benefits.

One project being planned in West Virginia provides an excellent illustration. The Jesco Solar Project, a 30 MW solar farm planned for Mason County, could generate enough clean electricity to power about 7,000 homes each year.?

Jesco Solar would bring the community of about 26,000 a major economic boost. During the 7–9 months of construction, the project would employ an average of 100 full-time-equivalent workers, earning an estimated $3 million in labor income. Most of the workers employed for the project would be local.??

When promoting solar jobs, developers should remind communities that increased employment means more than just the direct benefits from these jobs. A project like Jesco Solar also boosts local supply chains, resulting in indirect employment. Higher local incomes lead to increased spending on local goods and services, generating even more employment.

Jesco Solar would require no County water or sewer services, and it would bring Mason County a large influx of tax revenues.?Long term, local jobs are also needed to operate and maintain the project.?

Project planners estimate that Jesco Solar could generate an impressive $10 million in economic output for the community where it’s sited.?

Attracting businesses to communities

Local solar projects provide another huge economic benefit that may not be obvious at first glance: they can attract manufacturing, high tech and other businesses to an area.?

?Businesses increasingly want to engage in authentic environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts and not just rely on renewable energy certificates (RECs) for clean energy procurement. Plus, they’re seeing the undeniable economic benefits of renewables. Solar energy provides businesses predictable, long-term fixed pricing at a lower cost and a hedge against rising utility electric rates. For these reasons, more businesses are looking to increase their use of locally generated renewable energy.?

With this new focus, many companies are placing a high value on having solar farms in areas where they’re considering building new facilities or expanding existing ones. And of course, attracting businesses brings a community even more jobs. Communities that are aware of these benefits are more likely to support local solar farms.

Issue mitigation

Most community concerns about solar farms can be addressed easily with simple mitigations; developers should educate communities about these options and be upfront about which steps they plan to take.?

One important mitigation is to minimize visual impacts when designing a project. That can include security fences along the perimeter of a solar farm, as well as vegetative buffers to screen projects from roads and nearby homes. Existing tree lines should be maintained whenever possible.?

Projects can be designed to restore the land to its original condition in 25–35 years, the expected lifetime of most solar farms. At that time, the solar panels and other materials can be removed and sent to a recycling facility, and the land can be graded and reseeded as needed.

Many solar farms now incorporate non-invasive, pollinator-friendly grasses and other vegetation planted under and around the solar panels. In addition to providing pollinator habitat, planting vegetation under arrays promotes healthier soil and carbon capture that would otherwise be lost as a result of constant tilling from farming. Solar farms may go even farther in a practice known as agrivoltaics, or combining farming with solar installations. Agrivoltaics can benefit certain crops that grow better with some shade, save water and provide welcome land-leasing income to farmers, while lowering their energy costs. In fact, solar projects often allow farms to keep operating because of the increased income they bring. When farmers are aware of this, they often become more open to using their land for solar installations.

Encouraging communities to embrace local solar farms

In addition to their tremendous economic benefits, local solar farms bring communities the significant environmental benefits of clean energy. They can provide educational opportunities for local students. Stormwater runoff controls can be used to improve water quality in a community. With so many benefits, these projects often become a source of community pride.?Communities that have embraced solar farms can be effective evangelists for developers trying to garner community support for their projects.

Given current economic concerns like inflation, jobs remain one of the most pressing concerns for communities — and one of the most important benefits of local solar farms. Increased employment is an excellent reason for communities around the country to support local solar projects. Communities that have relied on coal jobs, which are now on the decline, deserve viable alternatives — and clean energy is a powerful one. With bold investments in clean energy and climate solutions, like the ones in the IRA, all American communities will benefit with jobs and more.?This map, which shows projections for jobs, savings, and lives saved by cleaner air for each zip code in the nation, can be a useful tool for getting communities on board with local solar projects.?

We need solar farms in communities across the U.S. to enable the much faster job growth expected with the IRA. The communities that welcome solar farms to their area will have a major advantage in the clean energy jobs boom that’s coming. By taking the time to educate communities about what they stand to gain, developers will have a better chance of advancing their projects — and advancing our industry.