Santa Cruz solar company seeing growth
California has set a new record.
Solar energy briefly accounted for nearly 40 percent of the state’s total electricity demand last month showing that renewable energy sources are on the rise.
It is a sort of benchmark achievement for California, especially since by 2030, the goal is to have half of all electricity generated from renewable energy sources.
Allterra Solar, a Santa Cruz-based company, sees a lot of growth in the industry.
“We’re seeing a significant increase. I mean there’s over 100,000 jobs in California from solar particularly. I think it’s almost 400,000 nationally, and it’s far outpacing the growth in jobs in other energy sectors,” said David Stearns, the marketing director for Allterra Solar.
In 2011, Allterra Solar had 10 employees. Now it has grown to over 40. Stearns says a quarter of all energy-related jobs created last year nationwide were solar.
The Santa Cruz area has produced a number of solar energy companies with over six in the region already. And business is not doing bad either. Allterra installed about one job per day in 2016. A California energy operator says that kind of progress is a step in the right direction.
“The technology has gotten better, it’s gotten cheaper to use. And we’re seeing that as we’re moving forward,” said Steven Greenlee, a spokesperson for the California Independent System Operator.
Allterra says the progress is a combination of the region’s commitment to taking care of the environment and people wanting to save money. The company thinks if more local jurisdictions and counties create their own districts to be the electricity suppliers, records like the one seen in March will not be the last.
“You’re going to keep seeing that happen. 50 percent from renewable energy, 60 percent from renewable energy, pretty soon a lot of people are projecting it to be 100 percent from renewable energy,” said Stearns. “Especially in a kind of region like this, where the Central Coast will hit a high target.”
The US Energy Information Administration reports the total solar energy capability in California has grown 14 times over the amount a decade ago.
