Advocates for solar power say the industry created nearly 38 hundred jobs in Ohio last year, a 31 percent increase over 2012 and the eighth highest total in the nation.
A non-profit group called The Solar Foundation says U.S. jobs in the industry grew by nearly 20 percent since September 2012, 10 times faster than the overall growth in employment during that time. Christian Adams with Environment Ohio credits the state's job growth to its renewable energy standards, which require utilities to invest in clean energy.
Adams says Ohio cities can help grow the solar energy market. He points to Cincinnati, which passed a resolution to install solar panels on one in five rooftops by 2028, and to develop new financing programs for residential and commercial solar power.
Majority Republicans in the Ohio Legislature are attempting to weaken the clean energy standards, saying they increase electric bills. A clean-energy initiative headed toward the statewide ballot would require 1.3 billion dollars in annual investments over a decade in infrastructure, research and development.