Wind and Solar jobs boost in the USA

• 7 years ago (2017-01-16)
• David Flin

North America 996 Solar 242 Wind 239

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Solar industry employment in the USA rose by over 73,000 jobs (+ 25 per cent) in 2016, and the nation’s wind industry added 25,000 jobs, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE has published its second annual National Energy Employment Analysis, which shows renewable energy and other low carbon technologies are employing more people.

David Foster, Senior Advisor on Industrial and Economic Policy at the DOE, said: “Whether producing natural gas or solar power at increasingly lower prices, or reducing our consumption of energy through smart grids and fuel efficient vehicles, energy innovation is proving itself as the important driver of economic growth in America, producing 14 per cent of the new jobs in 2016.”

Electric power generation employment in the USA now stands at 860,869 jobs, up 13 per cent for 2015’s 759,518 workers.