{"id":15328,"date":"2017-04-21T07:00:24","date_gmt":"2017-04-21T11:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=15328"},"modified":"2026-01-13T15:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T20:00:17","slug":"4-reasons-to-be-optimistic-this-earth-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2017\/04\/21\/4-reasons-to-be-optimistic-this-earth-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Four reasons to be optimistic this Earth Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to stay positive this Earth Day. I know that\u2019s not what you might expect from me this year, but really, when it comes to America\u2019s shift to cleaner, smarter, advanced energy, there\u2019s reason to be optimistic.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Business is booming\u2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The advanced energy industry is booming. This includes everything from solar and wind power, to new energy innovations that are smarter and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, like energy storage, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, and demand response<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    The industry grew 29 percent in the last five years, and last year was worth $200 billion<\/a> \u2013 about the same size as the pharmaceutical industry. Tesla \u2013 a sort of poster child for the advanced energy industry \u2013 just passed<\/a> Ford Motor Company and General Motors in market cap. In fact, the company dropped \u201cmotors\u201d from its name last year, a simple recognition that it\u2019s far more than a car company.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \u2026and that means jobs<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      There are now more than 3 million<\/a> clean energy jobs in America, more than twice the number in fossil fuel extraction and electricity generation. Solar and wind industry jobs in particular have seen substantial growth in the past year, outpacing<\/a> the rest of the U.S. economy 10 times over.<\/p>\n

      [Tweet “4 Reasons to Be Optimistic This Earth Day”]<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. States are moving forward, with or without Washington<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        There\u2019s no doubt President Trump\u2019s assault on American clean energy and water protections are dangerous. (I said I was going to be positive. But you can read about President Trump\u2019s toxic agenda and EDF\u2019s fight against it here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

        But around the country, there\u2019s been significant progress in the states.<\/p>\n

        Illinois just enacted<\/a> the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), an economic development plan that puts clean energy jobs atop the state\u2019s agenda. We estimate the FEJA will create thousands of new jobs and attract more than $12 billion in additional private investment.<\/p>\n

        California is conducting pilots of residential time-of-use<\/a> electricity pricing, a new way of rewarding people for conserving energy during periods of high demand. These rates have been available to commercial customers for years, and California will soon roll them out to residential customers across the state.<\/p>\n

        Many states, including New York<\/a>, Illinois<\/a>, and Ohio<\/a>, have embarked on aggressive reform of their energy policies that will modernize the electric grid and help make, move, and use energy more wisely, and with less pollution.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Most Americans want cleaner, smarter energy<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          That\u2019s not an exaggeration. Across the country, conservative republicans and liberal democrats agree on renewable energy<\/a> (if very little else):<\/p>\n