Solar energy installers in Pennsylvania say their alternative energy businesses and jobs are in danger of failing and some are putting the blame on Republican Gov. Tom Corbett.

The Associated Press reports:

The Pennsylvania Sunshine program, passed in
2008, provided $100 million in solar rebates to homeowners and
businesses to install such systems. That led to a boom, but the program
has only a few millions dollars left, and the state has no plans to
renew it.

“Some firms have moved to Ohio already, and we are
considering that. By springtime we’re going to be looking at layoffs, or
have to open another location in another state,” said Joe Morinville,
the owner of Energy Independent Solutions in McKee’s Rocks.

He said some of his competitors have already left Pennsylvania for states that are continuing to support for the industry.

Karen
Foltz, a spokeswoman for Pittsburgh-based Vox Energy Solutions, said
the current climate for solar businesses in the state is hardly
welcoming.
“People are losing their jobs,” said Foltz.

One environmental group puts the blame on the governor.

“He is so against renewable energy, it’s a
crime,” says Sharon Pillar, a solar project manager for the environmental group PennFuture. She says she believes Corbett is “100% backed” by
Marcellus Shale companies who see solar energy as a competitor.

Pillar said that in 2005, Pennsylvania
was a national leader in legislation supporting the solar industry, but
has now fallen far behind neighboring states such as New Jersey that
have more robust subsidies.

In other states the solar industry is doing quite well, the AP notes in a separate story:

The high costs that for years made it impractical as a mainstream
source of energy are plummeting. Real estate companies are racing to
install solar panels on office buildings. Utilities are erecting large
solar panel “farms” near big cities and in desolate deserts. And
creative financing plans are making solar more realistic than ever for
homes.

Solar power installations doubled in the United States last
year and are expected to double again this year. More solar energy is
being planned than any other power source, including nuclear, coal,
natural gas and wind.

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Related:
Solar industry touts gains in New Jersey