Today, the Solar Foundation released an interactive map that details where in the United States solar jobs are located. No surprise, the leader was California.
In addition to comparing solar jobs in different states (ex. 50 solar jobs in Wyoming vs. 43,000 in California), the map provides information about the number of companies operating, solar resources, state targets, employment subsectors, interconnection scores, and electricity prices.
Research by the Solar Foundation illuminates how solar power has not only transformed the energy sector but also the jobs sector. A comparison of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that California has more solar workers than actors, and there are more solar jobs in Texas than there are ranchers.
According to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association, in 2012, 90,000 solar systems were installed in the US, amounting to 2,313 megawatts of capacity on-line.
As solar power grows so, too, does the number of jobs in the country, making solar eco-friendly and smart economics.
