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To lead the green energy future, solar must clean up its supply chains

Excerpt from weforum.org/agenda

Solar energy could power 40% of US electricity, drive power grid decarbonization and employ up to 1.5 million people by 2035 – all without raising electricity prices, according to the recent Solar Futures Study by the US Department of Energy.

These are big ambitions to meet at a fast pace, but they are welcome and well-analyzed goals. The solar energy industry’s response to the use of forced labor and carbon-intensive energy in its supply chains, however, could affect its long-term viability as a green energy solution.

Just-in-time supply, more nimble manufacturing, and automation have led to dramatic declines in the cost of solar energy, making it one of the cheapest sources of electricity globally. Solar panels are cheaper to build and install today in many places than alternative sources of electricity like coal and natural gas, translating to lower levels of greenhouse gases and air pollution.

“Solar panels are cheaper to build and install today in many places than alternative sources of electricity like coal and natural gas, translating to lower levels of greenhouse gases and air pollution.”

—Morgan Bazilian, Payne Institute & Dustin Mulvaney, San José State University

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