The Personal: Solar Industry Booming in Ontario

Thanks to the success of the solar industry in Canada, the sun may soon be the energy source of choice for the nation's drivers as they try to save money.

According to the Globe and Mail, while many provincial governments are investing in solar research, Ontario is the runaway leader in the effort.

"There's just no contest," said the Canadian Solar Industries Association's Elizabeth McDonald in an interview with the paper. "Ontario is the California of Canada in terms of solar."

McDonald went on to say that while approximately 3,000 people are employed by solar companies if the hiring rate continues to increase, 25,000 more could be in the solar industry by 2013.

That rise may be due to more alternative energy companies considering Ontario as a place to expand their business. Kristopher Stevens, executive director for the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, told the paper that 200 renewable energy companies in South Korea want Ontario to host one of their factories.

Young people are also taking part in the green revolution by coming up with ways to save motorists money on their auto insurance by building fuel-efficient cars. The Shell Motor Company recently hosted one such event, won by students from Quebec with a vehicle that got more than 2,500 miles per gallon.