Jeff Wolfe to report on solar’s potential to drive US job market

January 27, 2010, Washington, DC – Jeff Wolfe, CEO of groSolar, will testify before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on January 29, 2010.
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy, will convene a joint hearing to examine the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs by expanding the use of solar energy.
“I’m honored to be invited to speak on the opportunity that solar presents us today, and the potential this sector has in creating high-paying, in-demand green jobs for America.  Solar deployment has enormous potential to be a driver for the US economy, and it’s critical that we seize this opportunity immediately and lead the way to a true economic recovery,” said Wolfe. “We need to get people back to work. Each megawatt of solar power capacity supports 25 jobs, with eight of these jobs in system design, distribution, installation, and services created where the systems are installed.”
Increasingly attractive state and federal tax advantages now offset a significant percentage of the cost of both residential and commercial solar systems. “We need to safeguard and strengthen these incentives and keep our energy dollars circulating in our own economy. By investing in solar and reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels, we’ll create the jobs that are going to lead us out of this recession and the global environmental crisis that confronts us.” Wolfe said.
Wolfe founded groSolar in 1988 with his wife Dori, and the company is now the largest 100 percent domestically-owned solar distribution company in the nation. groSolar installs solar electric and hot water systems for large commercial projects such as Fenway Park, in Boston, and residential systems for thousands of homeowners through a combination of staff installers and a network of independent dealers.
Wolfe is now a frequently sought-after speaker about the solar industry and green jobs in particular.  This is the second time he has been invited to DC to speak with government officials. In February of 2009, Wolfe was invited to the White House for President Obama's unveiling of his Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Wolfe joined approximately 60 other business leaders in the East Room to witness the installation of the 15-member board, led by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volker, which helped guide the economic stimulus package.

# # #