A: SOLAR POWER: THE ENERGY OF THE FUTURE TODAY Public awareness about the impact of our industrial society on human health and the environment is growing. The generation of heat and electricity by burning coal at power plants and diesel fuel in generators pollutes the atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect, acid rain and smog. These effects cause droughts and flooding, crop and property damage, and neurological and respiratory disorders. They also worsen the condition of older people already ill with heart and lung disease, sometimes causing death. The generation of electricity by nuclear fission both produces low-level radioactive wastes, exposing workers to radiation, and threatens the area with a massive release of radiation in the event of a plant failure. Disposable batteries contaminate groundwater with toxic metals when they are landfilled and pollute the air when they are incinerated. The need for heat and electricity must be met by less harmful technologies. The solar industry began in the United States through the space program. Scientists needed an electric power supply for satellites, and developed systems which operated on sunlight. Stimulated by the 1973 oil embargo, continued research led to reductions in the cost of these photovoltaic (PV) systems as well as improvements in efficiency. This interest in PVs also led to the development of a solar thermal industry for the production of both heat and electricity. Investment in solar power produces positive results. According to a 1985 "white paper" by the U.S. Department of Energy, between 1975 and 1985, the $4 billion spent on solar energy and the $2 billion in tax incentives led to a reduction in petroleum expenditures of $36 billion. Investment in solar power saves money. Investment in solar power creates jobs. A study by the natural gas, energy efficiency and solar industry associations showed the United States could create between 200,000 - 400,000 new jobs over the next 20 years by developing those industries sufficiently to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from current levels by 12 percent. Solar power is a reliable source of energy, whether in the Southwest or the Northeast. Solar power systems received bad publicity in the 1970s because many entrepreneurs, with less concern for their customers than for their profits, saw an opportunity to get rich quickly from federal tax credits. Frequently, these systems used poor materials, the vendors were not knowledgeable and the products were poorly designed or did not work. Today, however, properly-designed systems are plentiful and operate reliably. Some states, including Florida and California, have instituted licensing requirements for solar companies, and the Solar Energy Industry Association has established voluntary certification of vendors. This issue of Energy Ideas discusses the many reliable and cost-effective applications of solar power in many parts of the country. The growth of this technology depends on increasing demand, and government has the ability and the capacity to spur the industry's growth.