Mass. solar industry slows
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The Happy Hollow Community Solar Farm in Winchendon
Massachusetts lagged behind the U.S. solar power industry job growth rate in 2019, but its solar workforce rose 1.9 percent to 10,400 workers, according to a new report.
The non-profit Solar Foundation's jobs census, released Wednesday, concluded the sector employed nearly 250,000 workers in 2019. That's an increase of 5,600 jobs or 2.3 percent. The job gains nationally followed job losses in the solar sector in 2017 and 2018.
In the foundation's 2010 census, analysts counted 93,000 jobs in the solar industry.
"In just ten years, despite facing many challenges, solar has grown from a niche product to a mainstream energy source that provides a quarter of a million high-quality jobs," foundation president Andrea Luecke said in a statement. "This is great news, but it's only a fraction of what can be accomplished if we are truly committed to solving the climate crisis and expanding the use of solar and storage."
The states with the most jobs added in 2019 were Florida, Georgia, Utah, New York, Texas, Illinois, and Virginia. Solar sector jobs in Florida were up 18 percent last year, to 12,202.
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