I guess your definition of “clean job” postings is different than mine. I am in Texas. I completed a full program in Photovoltaics. I passed the entry-level NABCEP solar install exam. I am a highly educated person with many years of successful sales experience in another industry. I, like many of my classmates, cannot find jobs in this industry in Texas unless you count the numerous job postings that are “contract” positions: No real job, no real pay, and certainly no benefits. But if I want to work for free and see if I can make any sales, then I’m hired. This is not my definition of a job. That is the definition of entrepreneurship; of starting my own business. There are big problems in Texas. For instance, there is no statewide incentives program for renewable energy. We don’t have a state-wide rebate program like California. So, if you are lucky enough to live in an area where the local energy supplier has incentives, then you can put solar on your roof at relatively low cost with a quick buy-back period. For everyone else, too bad for you, you have to pay the full ride. Which nobody wants to do. I guess those small pockets of incentive-areas add up to a lot, given the fact that Texas shows up as #5 on the list of most incentives. Until this is fixed, solar and clean energy will stagnate. Imagine where Texas would be if our legislature wasn’t completely owned by the oil and natural gas industry! Additionally, SunPower solar located its world headquarters in Austin, took lots of incentives to move there, promising 400 jobs. Where are those jobs? For 2 years now they have only posted C-level and Director-level positons. Are they going to hire others who work for upper management? Because if not soon, then they should have their incentives from the City of Austin revoked.
shelley says
I guess your definition of “clean job” postings is different than mine. I am in Texas. I completed a full program in Photovoltaics. I passed the entry-level NABCEP solar install exam. I am a highly educated person with many years of successful sales experience in another industry. I, like many of my classmates, cannot find jobs in this industry in Texas unless you count the numerous job postings that are “contract” positions: No real job, no real pay, and certainly no benefits. But if I want to work for free and see if I can make any sales, then I’m hired. This is not my definition of a job. That is the definition of entrepreneurship; of starting my own business. There are big problems in Texas. For instance, there is no statewide incentives program for renewable energy. We don’t have a state-wide rebate program like California. So, if you are lucky enough to live in an area where the local energy supplier has incentives, then you can put solar on your roof at relatively low cost with a quick buy-back period. For everyone else, too bad for you, you have to pay the full ride. Which nobody wants to do. I guess those small pockets of incentive-areas add up to a lot, given the fact that Texas shows up as #5 on the list of most incentives. Until this is fixed, solar and clean energy will stagnate. Imagine where Texas would be if our legislature wasn’t completely owned by the oil and natural gas industry! Additionally, SunPower solar located its world headquarters in Austin, took lots of incentives to move there, promising 400 jobs. Where are those jobs? For 2 years now they have only posted C-level and Director-level positons. Are they going to hire others who work for upper management? Because if not soon, then they should have their incentives from the City of Austin revoked.