Recently, Northampton County Council member Tara Zrinski announced her candidacy for Controller. She needs a job with a decent salary ($85,000) and complete benefits. Selling solar panels might sound the wave of the future, as fossil industry jobs are replaced by a clean energy workforce. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening. Yes, the installation of solar panels has increased by 60% between 2016 and 2021, but the number of solar jobs has declined 11%. Construction workers on solar farms are busy, but that's about it.
The notion that green jobs will replace fossil industry jobs appears to be untrue, at least in solar energy.
15 comments:
I wonder if the county employees know that their union bosses have contributed a ton of money to all her losing campaigns. Wonder what she will run for next year.
People use your brain regardless of party and vote for Cusick. He has never perjured himself in court.
China dominates the solar industry. It is now subsidized by the U.s. government.
The link for solar jobs is the wrong one
We ceded solar panel production to the Chinese years ago. They own the industry. US solar created lots of Green Energy jobs ......... in China ..... using children and religious minorities as slaves.
"The link for solar jobs is the wrong one"
Fixed. Thanks.
"China dominates the solar industry. It is now subsidized by the U.s. government."
This is false. China does dominate the solar industry. Its dirty panels are the product of slave labor and coal and it was dumping them, but the US subsidies go to the purchasers, not China. There is currently a ban on Chinese-made solar panels, which has contracted the market a bit this year. I would never buy a China solar panel.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2021/05/19/china-made-solar-cheap-through-coal-subsidies--forced-labor-not-efficiency/?sh=234543e871ec
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-solar-installations-fall-23-this-year-due-china-goods-ban-report-2022-12-13/
while we are using Forbes and Michael Shellenberger maybe we can ask if these panels are clean energy why are they toxic in a landfill. I though we cared about the environment?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2018/05/23/if-solar-panels-are-so-clean-why-do-they-produce-so-much-toxic-waste/?sh=1ade00db121c
FWIW - Like most industries, there is a big curve early on with labor as scale and efficiencies are developed. Drive thru any suburban development these days and you'll probably see 1 out of every 5 homes with installed solar panels.
At some point, PPL or some other energy company, will figure out the cost benefits of installing panels on every home as a secondary or supplemental source.
If the government subsidies solar panels it contributes to china's profits. If there is ban on china's panels all the components made here are made in china.
Only if they give to a PAL , otherwise they can only endorse a candidate.
" ... but the US subsidies go to the purchasers, not China."
I don't have a dog in the fight. But this is naïve. All money is green. All money is fungible. Subsidies end up in the pockets of all stakeholders, including and especially the producers of a subsidized product. The bigger your stake, the bigger your take. I manufacture a number of products which are currently heavily subsidized. My customers get a break. I and my fellow producers get a windfall. Don't hate the player. But please understand the game. China's products are like really cheap heroin. It's easy to stay addicted and not realize how it's killing you.
Bernie, the below is from the facebook page "Tara Zrinski - Political Candidate" (I love how she doesn't have a "Zrinski for Controller" or "Zrinski for State Senate" she keeps it political candidate so she can run for every and anything). I find it funny that she says "I’m pretty self sufficient and this would probably be a cut in pay." I'm pretty sure she probably sells maybe, 2-3 houses solar panels a year?!?!?! Do candidates have to disclose their current salary? Wonder if her "current salary" includes alimony and child support payments???
From Taras facebook page:
"...I’m definitely not looking for the paycheck. I’m pretty self sufficient and this would probably be a cut in pay. As for the label as a political activist, everyone knows I am an activist for the people."
Again, this not a tough choice. Disregard the R and D labels. This is a position where knowledge and qualifications are paramount. The mathematician with extensive knowledge of county politics and its Home Rule charter. Or a failed solar panel salesperson with a degree in Theology. A political activist who will run for any open seat that provides a salary.
I’ll take the mathematics guy for a bean counting job over the activist thank you.
1:52, She must file a SFI annually with basic information that includes direct and indirect sources of income. She must also file one with her nomination petition.
I am glad to hear she is self-sufficient. Let's keep herin the job that she's doing well.
I heard of two solar warehouses being built. The recent billing screw-up has more people shopping for utility rates. PPL needs to answer why rates were jacked during an unseasonably warm month. Were they trying to make other people capital work for them by collecting interest or was it just a a billing error?
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