Rhode Island’s clean energy industry is more than 15,000 jobs strong — an increase of 66 percent since 2014. Energy efficiency, the largest sector, has almost 9,000 workers; the fast-growing solar sector has nearly 1,700. Clean energy employment is a bright spot in an economy that has rebounded more slowly than in other states, and we are progressing towards the state’s goal of 20,000 green jobs by 2020.

That’s why it’s too bad the small-scale solar portion of Rhode Island’s popular Renewable Energy Growth (REG) program, for solar arrays on the roof of your home or small business, was temporarily halted in October when it reached its annual limit.

The good news is the program filled to capacity much more quickly than expected, in six months, demonstrating the growing demand for clean, local energy sources that help consumers and benefit the electric grid. The bad news is that such interruptions inhibit the growth of a vibrant clean energy industry in general and the solar industry specifically. Installers like Newport Solar are scaling back their work, and many residents and businesses seeking to take more control over their energy production and use will likely be delayed until more program capacity becomes available next April.

Rhode Island has an ambitious renewable energy target of 1,000 megawatts by 2020, including from increasingly cost-competitive solar and wind. The REG, which allows Rhode Islanders with rooftop solar to sell their solar-generated electricity to National Grid while offsetting their energy bills, is propelling the development of 160 megawatts of renewable energy through 2019.

That development supports clean energy job growth right here in our state. In 2017, the General Assembly smartly extended REG until 2029, adding another 400 megawatts of renewables to our energy supply, which is currently over-reliant on natural gas.

Rhode Island has several solar-friendly policies and programs, including a new statewide solar permitting process, and Solarize, which promotes the adoption of small-scale solar in cities and towns through a pricing structure that boosts savings as more households and businesses sign up. Rhode Island must continue its momentum. Our solar programs can and should be designed to meet our energy, environmental, and public health goals; ensure all citizens and communities have access to solar resources; invest in a diverse array of projects; and continue job growth both in and beyond the solar industry. The REG program meets many of these goals, but could be improved to avoid starts and stops that disrupt progress and put Rhode Island jobs at risk.

Clean energy employment includes electricians, roofers, laborers, first-line supervisors, and inside and outside sales representatives. The median hourly wage of approximately $25 is 8 percent higher than the median in Rhode Island for all occupations, according to the state’s 2017 Clean Energy Industry Jobs Report. These jobs exist in every corner of our state: nearly 40 percent of Rhode Island legislative districts have 200 or more clean energy jobs; more than a quarter have 500 or more.

The National Solar Jobs Census reports that solar jobs in Rhode Island grew 77 times faster than the overall economy last year. Newport Solar exemplifies the growth locally: It launched as a one-man, part-time business in 2009 and now employs 14 people, including 12 full-time. More than two in five clean energy employers in Rhode Island are medium-size, with 6 to 24 workers.

The clean energy economy is not some distant future — it provides good-paying jobs now, and is improving the health of our communities as greenhouse gas and toxic emissions decline. Let’s continue and expand Rhode Island’s efforts to advance solar and other local clean energy resources through sustainable programs that help our economy and give consumers more control.

Erika Niedowski is policy advocate for Acadia Center, a nonprofit clean energy research and advocacy organization. Doug Sabetti is owner and founder of Newport Solar.