As our leaders invest in an economic recovery from COVID-19, we have the opportunity to create jobs and reduce pollution through U.S. investments in clean energy.
Before the pandemic, clean energy was one of the most powerful sectors in the country, growing 70% faster than the entire economy. There are also clean energy advertising opportunities here in West Virginia.
I know this growth firsthand. I grew up in Dickenson County, Virginia, in the heart of the Carboniferous Appalachian region. Generations of my family have mined coal in this area, including my father. When my mom suddenly found a single mom with two young children, she took a job at Pizza Hut and made $ 2.16 an hour (plus tip). She did this while attending night school until she got a job running a company that was eventually bought by Verizon.
It was a good job for the area, perhaps one of the best for someone without a college degree. We had health insurance and my mother was a member of the Communications Workers of America union. When he was 11 years old, I remember putting on a T-shirt with the letters "CWA" on it and joining a line of pickets. I was so proud
My mother's courage inspires me to this day. The dignity and security of this job is what I want for my people in West Virginia. I am now the owner of a solar energy company, but my path has not been easy at all. I attended Berea College on a full scholarship but had to retire after a series of tragic events set my family back. In 2014, I was a single mom of two young children and returned to my hometown of Clintwood, Virginia.
The best job I could find was serving as a server for Applebee. They paid me $ 2.16 an hour (plus tip), just like my mom made it. I returned to an area where coal mining was in decline, and what I saw made me advocate economic development beyond coal.
Jobs lost to coal mining cannot be replaced by a call center or prison, even if they have offered us to. I went a different way. I found a job at Solar Holler, a West Virginia-based company, where I discovered the solar system. In 2019 I became a licensed general contractor and co-founder of Revolt Energy to carry out large solar systems. Business picked up speed in early 2020.
So the pandemic almost stopped us. However, with a careful budget and a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program, we were able to get back to business quickly, adding 10 full-time positions over the past year. We organized our workforce through IBEW Local 466. And while we didn't meet the criteria for the second round of the COVID-19 aid loan, we would hire and train several more people if we had the resources.
The demand for solar power and other clean energies is only going to increase, and that's good news for our communities. By promoting clean energy, we help our families find well-paying jobs and their health - a win-win situation. However, we must ensure that the residents of West Virginia take full advantage of this coincidence and unlock our job creation potential as a state.
Let me explain. Today, large solar projects are typically outsourced to NGOs, which reflects our experience in coal mining countries where profits from local jobs are migrating out of the state to the detriment of the local economy. It doesn't have to be like that.
When my company builds a solar panel on the floor, we go to McNeil Fence Co. (in Charleston) for the frame. We get supplies and equipment from State Electric (in Huntington). When Revolt Energy installs solar power, our entire community benefits from the benefits.
This month Revolt Energy is implementing one of the largest commercial solar projects in our state, right here at Nitro. This is proof that local businesses can skillfully manage large projects.
But here's the kicker, we need support, which is why entrepreneurs aren't looking for non-government solar installers. We need state lawmakers to set a renewable portfolio standard that puts West Virginia businesses at the forefront of projects in our state.
Senator Joe Manchin, DW.Va., has always been a strong proponent of job creation in West Virginia, and for that we should be grateful. However, more is needed at all levels of government to ensure that West Virginia residents are not left behind as coal mining continues to decline. We need significant investments in growing energy industries like solar and wind, incentives and support for opening clean energy businesses in West Virginia, and state and federal efforts to encourage energy innovation.
Our ingenuity and work ethic can help us realize our clean energy potential and get the people of West Virginia to work.
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