News Roundup: Solar Tariff Could Wipe Out Jobs; Hawaii Breaks Ground on 110MW Project; America’s First Solar-Powered Town Welcomes New Residents, & More

In this monthly roundup, we discuss how the recently imposed a 30-percent tariff on imported solar panels is expected to slow job growth and the Kawailoa solar project in Hawaii is the state’s biggest. We also learn about America’s first solar-powered town and the steps China is taking to move away from coal.

Solar Tariff is Touted as Creating ‘A Lot of Jobs,’ But It Could Wipe Out Many More
To promote U.S. manufacturing and the fossil fuel industry, the Trump Administration recently put a 30-percent tariff on imported solar technologies. However, the 178-percent growth in the American solar industry since 2010 is primarily from installing and maintaining solar installations. So, while U.S. solar panel manufacturers may now have less competition, they may not be able to meet consumer demands. The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that 23,000 jobs may be lost in 2018 alone because of this decision.
Read more here.

NRG Breaks Ground On 110MW PV Project in Hawaii
On the island Oahu in the state of Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric Company has teamed up with NRG Energy, Kamehameha Schools and other partners to build the state’s biggest solar project yet. Once completed in 2019, this set of three installations will power almost 32,000 Hawaiian homes. The Kawailoa Solar Project — the largest of the installations — will be located on a former sugar cane farm and will generate 49 of the project’s total 110 megawatts.
Read more here.

Welcome to America’s First Solar-Powered Town
Babcock Ranch, north of Fort Myers, Florida, is unlike any town in America. This small community is almost completely powered by solar energy. Planning for Babcock Ranch began in 2006 and is a multigenerational community complete with a public charter school, a transit system and a shopping center. The town already has sold 80 homes, and two families moved in permanently in January. Babcock Ranch’s official grand opening is in March 2018.
Read more here.

China’s Latest Energy Megaproject Shows that Coal Really Is on the Way Out
China has long been a major player in the international fossil fuel economy, but the country’s extreme pollution is causing it to move further and further away from coal. China now has ambitious plans to create 13 million renewable energy jobs and invest at least $360 billion on clean energy projects by 2020. A recent solar project shows that Chinese leaders are taking this commitment seriously: Enough solar panels to power 15,000 homes float on top of an abandoned coal mine reservoir in Anhui, and a similar project in the same province is expected to power 94,000 homes by May 2018. Meanwhile, China also cancelled the development of 104 coal plants across the country last year.
Read more here.