This job growth depends on early-stage public support to spur market growth in the U.S. Without it, these firms will go to other countries, hire other workers, and other tax bases will enjoy the benefits.

U.S. public support is about to weaken substantially, with the 2008 expiration of the investment tax credit (ITC) for solar. Congress is debating an 8-year extension of the ITC.

I was on the phone last week with Santiago Seage, CEO of, Abengoa Solar in Spain, about building manufacturing plants and solar power facilities in the U.S. He said the plants would directly employ 200 people, and constructing the energy facilities would employ 2,000 or more. He said, "without the ITC extension, solar power will stop in the U.S. Leading companies will invest elsewhere."

And hire elsewhere. Congressman Jay Inslee has been proposing an "Apollo Project for energy," an all-out effort to not only solve the energy crises facing the world, but to make the U.S. a leader again. Jobs are one of the many long-term benefits he expects of such an effort. But we can have sustained job growth now, as long as we continue the incentives designed to help the emerging clean energy industry get its feet on the ground.