Solar jobs growing across regions regardless of sunshine
February 11, 2014 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
The solar industry experienced record-breaking job growth across the U.S. last year, according to The Solar Foundation (TSF).
California and Arizona continued to hold the top two spots for solar employment, with 47,223 and 8,558 jobs, respectively. The New England region boasts more than 25,000 solar jobs -- representing nearly 20 percent of the total U.S. solar workforce despite not being among the sunniest regions. Southern states now employ more than 22,000 solar workers, and 18 Southern, Midwestern and Mountain states doubled their solar jobs since TSF last reported these figures. "Our state solar jobs research this year clearly shows that solar energy can be harnessed anywhere, and that growth rates are not necessarily associated with geography, total amount of sunshine, or political party," said Andrea Luecke, executive director and president of TSF. Better-established solar markets like Massachusetts and New York both grew by nearly 50 percent while developing markets in North Carolina and Georgia doubled their solar jobs. Strong policy in Georgia has led to a rapid increase in installation jobs, whereas increasing market maturity led to gains in New York for jobs related to legal and financial services. New solar job creation in North Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Louisiana combined to account for nearly one-quarter of the total 23,682 industry-wide jobs added last year. State solar employment figures were generated using thousands of data points from a combination of high-quality sources, including TSF's National Solar Jobs Census 2013, the Solar Energy Industries Association's National Solar Database, among other sources. For more: © 2014 FierceMarkets, a division of Questex Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/solar-jobs-growing-across-regions-regardless-sunshine/2014-02-11 |