Things are changing. In meeting with and talking to industry people, I often hear how bad things have been and how far down some traditional industries have fallen. I look for reasons for optimism.
One was found in the pages of USA Today. In an article titled Today's Gold Rush: Solar, author Julie Schmit points out that some 49 solar projects are in the planning stages in California alone. Now, these may not happen but, if they did, some 11,000 megawats of electricity will be generated per year. The projects will create some 10,000 construction jobs, 2,200 operational jobs, and up to $30 billion in investment. You can find this article by clicking on the title of this post.
That is a solid market for fluid power applications and reason for optimism. Even if half or less of these projects get approved and done, many jobs will be created. We will probably not return to the levels of employment that we once enjoyed in automotive manufacturing or any form of heavy manufacturing for that matter.
However, if we keep on creating new jobs, green energy jobs, and keep on driving our economy, we will once again enjoy a very robust economy. The future really is bright; we just need to confidence to shine.
