By Michael Churchman
Michael is the executive director of  the Alabama Environmental Council.

Earlier this summer, the Alabama Solar Knowledge (ASK) Project released informal survey data that showed that Alabamians overwhelmingly want more solar power.

More than 1,600 people responded to the survey and when asked about which two sources of energy they would like to see more of in Alabama, nearly eight in 10 said they preferred solar, followed by wind.

These results closely mirror national opinion polls, which consistently show a strong preference for clean energy.

In their comments, respondents explained that protecting the environment, caring for God’s creation and increasing economic opportunities in Alabama were important factors in their selecting solar and wind as preferred energy sources.

The results underscore the public’s strong desire for Alabama to transition to clean energy.

And it appears that message is starting to get noticed. Alabama Power has petitioned the Alabama Public Service Commission to procure 500 megawatts of renewable energy, and in announcing the move said the search for more solar was partly a direct response to customer demand.

Like its sister operating companies in Mississippi, Georgia and Florida, Alabama Power wants to invest in clean energy and help diversify its generation mix. This would aid existing customers, as well help to attract new business from the increasing list of companies that demand cleaner energy sources as part of their business models.

In North Alabama, Google recently announced a huge investment in building a new data center on the site of a former coal-burning power plant, largely because of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s commitment to renewable energy.

The plant will be powered 100 percent through purchases of renewable energy from TVA. NextEra also is building the largest solar farm in TVA territory in the Shoals.

Like many other global corporate leaders, more and more companies are making these kinds of clean energy investments because they improve corporate performance and cut costs.

And these companies are on the hunt for like-minded utilities to partner with. To continue luring companies to Alabama — instead of having them settle in surrounding southeastern states — it’s going to take further increases in clean energy and energy efficiency in Alabama.

The potential pay-off is worth it. Georgia has seen huge increases in economic investment and job growth in the solar industry in the last few years.

Our neighbor has nearly 3,000 workers in the solar industry that weren’t there just a few years ago, compared to only 500 in Alabama.

That happened through goal-setting by the Public Service Commission and a commitment by Georgia’s largest utility to expand clean energy opportunities.

These decisions generated a boom in the state’s economy. It’s not too late for Alabama to join the solar gold rush.

The latest step toward clean energy was the unveiling last week of the President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which “establishes the first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants.”

To date, plants have not been held to carbon emissions limits like they have for pollutants such as mercury, soot, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

The Clean Power Plan will create tens of thousands of jobs and drive more aggressive investment in clean energy technologies, help ensure the reliability of electricity in an age when our energy infrastructure is changing dramatically, and is projected to save the average American family nearly $85 on annual energy bills in 2030.

The plan is state-centered, giving states the opportunity to develop their own plans based on specific state needs for energy.

And it will provide significant public health benefits. In fact, according to research by Syracuse University, the plan would prevent an expected 3,500 premature deaths in the United States every year.

Recently, 128 businesses and 49 large investors sent a letter of support to the administration saying they were pleased “to see an approach that catalyzes energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment” because “clean energy policies are good for our environment, the economy and companies.”

The Alabama Environmental Council believes that Alabamians — indeed, all Americans  — deserve a brighter, cleaner future.

We recognize the wisdom of American energy pioneer Thomas Edison, who suggested we put our “money on the sun and solar energy.”