By Vic Shao | Solar Industry
As a cleantech CEO who has received $12 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), I feel compelled to assure the public that U.S. tax money has not been wasted. The cleantech industry has not crashed – as a recent “60 Minutes” piece http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cleantech-crash-60-minutes/ asserts – but rather, is stronger than ever. Here are just a few of the reasons why:
1. More Americans use clean energy than ever before.
The infamous crash of Solyndra was actually sign of a positive trend for solar consumers: a dramatic decrease in the cost per kWh. The majority of U.S. solar jobs are concentrated in financing and installation, not manufacturing. Cheaper panels have led to a boom in the U.S. solar sector, making 2013 a record year for solar installations. Wind energy now powers over 15 million American homes. During the first six months of 2013, America bought twice as many plug-in electric vehicles as in the first half of 2012.
