Alabama has the sun. Alabama has the space. And now, we have the numbers that show just how much we stand to gain by growing our solar economy.
A new report from Mangum Economics, commissioned by Energy Alabama, shows that scaling up utility-scale solar could create thousands of jobs, deliver over a billion dollars in wages, and generate hundreds of millions in tax revenue for Alabama communities.
What the Report Found
By expanding solar to match the levels of our neighbors, Alabama could unlock:
- 16,420 construction job years and 270 permanent operations jobs
- $1.1 billion in wages and benefits
- $234.9 million in additional construction-related tax revenue and $713 million more over 40 years of operations
And this is just the beginning. Every year we wait, more opportunities slip away.
TVA vs. the Rest of Alabama
Within Alabama, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) serves about 25% of the population across 13 counties, yet 54% of all utility-scale solar projects in Alabama are located in TVA territory. The remaining 75% of Alabamians see only 46% of the development.
This imbalance shows that when policy is more open to clean energy, investment follows.
Why It Matters
Clean energy isn’t just about the environment, it’s about building stronger communities and economies. Solar projects bring:
- Jobs for our communities
- Revenue for our state
- Cleaner, cheaper energy for families and businesses
Our Call to Action
“These numbers show what we already know: Alabama has the sun and the space to compete with our neighbors, but bad policy is blocking progress,” said Daniel Tait, Executive Director at Energy Alabama. “Every year we delay, we miss out on new jobs, new investment, and cleaner, cheaper energy for families and businesses.”
Energy Alabama is calling on state leaders and regulators to modernize policies and remove barriers that hold back renewable energy investment.
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