U.S. Solar Jobs Swell 20% as Credits and Prices Spur Demand
- Solar power may supply 3.5% of U.S. electricity by 2020
- Report comes after two companies in Nevada announce job cuts
This article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. solar industry’s workforce grew by 20 percent last year as a federal tax credit and falling panel prices prompted more people to power homes and businesses with the sun.
Roughly 209,000 people were working for solar companies in the U.S. last year, compared with 174,000 a year earlier and 143,000 in 2013, according to a report released Tuesday by The Solar Foundation. The study, based on data from 19,000 businesses, comes days after two of the largest U.S. solar installers announced plans to cut hundreds of jobs in Nevada.