Following is a statement from Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), on President Biden’s State of the Union address: 

“Tonight, the president made clear that generating electricity from diversified energy sources is the only way we’ll be able to meet America’s increasing demand for electricity.

“Last year, more than half of the electricity added to the grid capacity came from solar, the first time in 80 years that a renewable energy source accounted for a majority of annual capacity additions.

“Nearly half of all solar capacity on the grid today has been installed in the last three years, generating over $120 billion of private investment and thousands of jobs across all 50 states.

“Pro-business, pro-growth clean energy laws passed under this administration have done more for domestic solar manufacturing than any program or policy in U.S. history. If we stay the course with these policies, solar deployment will quadruple, and America’s solar manufacturing workforce will grow to 100,000 jobs over the next decade. We have the laws in place we need to break free from our reliance on imports and build a strong, American-made energy future that helps us breathe cleaner air and lead healthier lives.

“The transition to clean energy is an opportunity to create jobs, build up the middle class, reverse decades of environmental injustice and build a more inclusive energy economy. The solar and storage industry will add over half a trillion dollars to the economy over the next decade, and we are focused on ensuring every American benefits from this economic boom.

“We have more work to do to fully realize a future powered by renewables. We support President Biden’s clean energy vision and look forward to continuing this work throughout 2024 and beyond.”