California's Push for Rooftop Solar Panels Isn't Going So Well Right Now
State subsidy cuts combined with high interest rates are slowing solar installations — and costing green jobs.
Baker Home Energy workers install solar panels on a rooftop in Poway, California.
Photographer: Sandy Huffaker/BloombergCalifornia helped create the US solar industry, subsidizing rooftop panels at a time when the federal fight against climate change had barely begun. Now, it’s leading a sharp sales slowdown that’s threatening widespread adoption.
Installers are slashing jobs. Bankruptcies are mounting. And it’s not just mom & pops feeling the pinch. Solar equipment-maker Enphase Energy Inc., long considered a bellwether for the sector, announced this week it would cut its workforce 10% and close two contract factories, with Chief Executive Officer Badri Kothandaraman citing California’s woes in a letter to staff.