Business & Tech

California #1 in Nation for Solar Jobs

Environment California's newly released data from The Solar Foundation reveals that California leads both Colorado and Arizona in hiring the most people to work in solar-related fields in the U.S.

The citizen-based environmental advocacy organization Environment California released a report Monday that shows that California has the most solar-related jobs in the country, with an estimated 25,000 people employed by more than 3,550 solar establishments.

The data comes from the non-profit The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2011: A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce. (Click on the attached PDF to read the full report).

According to the report, California leads Colorado and Arizona as the largest employer in solar-related fields. Colorado employs 6,186 people in an estimated 1,020 solar establishments and Arizona has an estimated 4,786 people working in 980 solar establishments.

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In addition to the California findings, the report noted that nationwide, U.S. solar companies added jobs during the last 12 months at a much faster pace than the general economy, and noted that as of August 2011, the U.S. solar industry has employed an estimated 100,237 solar workers, up 6.8% since August 2010. In addition, the report projects that the solar industry will see rapid growth in the next year, increasing solar workers by almost 24 percent, or by approximately 24,000 jobs in 2012.

Environment California also released a list of more than 50 elected officials (see list below) that support Gov. Jerry Brown’s clean energy vision. Under the governor’s plan, California would build 12,000 megawatts of local, clean energy, which would be enough to cover a million solar roofs by 2020.

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“We applaud Governor Brown and the growing number of California leaders who are working to ensure that California continues to be a solar leader, accelerating the environmental and economic benefits of further growth in the industry,” Environment California activist Michelle Kinman said in a statement.

These California officials signed the following declaration: 

“Yes! I endorse Governor Brown’s pioneering vision to build 12,000 megawatts of clean energy – enough solar energy to cover a million solar roofs – by 2020. By building solar on houses, apartment buildings, offices, schools and warehouses across California, we can create green jobs, reduce air pollution, and generate clean energy to power our lives.” 

 

Congresswoman Judy Chu

Los Angeles

Congresswoman Janice Hahn

Los Angeles

Congressman Henry Waxman

Los Angeles

Senator Fran Pavley

Santa Monica

Assemblymember Steven Bradford

Inglewood

Assemblymember Betsy Butler

El Segundo

Assemblymember Ricardo Lara

South Gate

Assemblymember Warren Furutani

Long Beach

City Council President Eric Garcetti

Los Angeles

Council President Pro Tempore Jan Perry

Los Angeles

Councilmember Paul Krekorian

Los Angeles

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky

Los Angeles County

Assemblymember Roger Dickinson

Sacramento

Mayor Kevin Johnson

Sacramento

Vice Mayor Bonnie Pannell

Sacramento

Councilmember Steve Cohn

Sacramento

Councilmember Jay Schenirer

Sacramento

Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge

Riverside

Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter

San Bernardino

Mayor Patrick Morris

San Bernardino

Congressman Mike Honda

San Jose

Assemblymember Jim Beall

San Jose

Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen

San Jose

Councilmember Kansen Chu

San Jose

Councilmember Rose Herrera

San Jose

Assemblymember Michael Allen

Santa Rosa

Assemblymember Das Williams

Santa Barbara

Assemblymember Luis A. Alejo

Salinas

Mayor Ryan Coonerty

Santa Cruz

Vice Mayor Don Lane

Santa Cruz

Councilmember Terrazas

Santa Cruz

Senator Michael Rubio

Fresno

Assemblymember Henry Perea

Fresno

Congressman Bob Filner

San Diego

Assemblymember Marty Block

Lemon Grove

Councilmember David Alvarez

San Diego

Councilmember Marti Emerald

San Diego

Council President Larry Reid

Oakland

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan

Oakland

Councilmember Pat Kernighan

Oakland

Councilmember Libby Schaaf

Oakland

Vice Mayor Michael Kasperzak

Mountain View

Councilmember Shawn Marshall

Mill Valley

Councilmember John Reed

Fairfax

Councilmember David Weinsoff

Fairfax

Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski

Fremont

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey

San Rafael

Congresswoman Jackie Speier

San Mateo

Assemblymember Jerry Hill

San Mateo

Assemblymember Nancy Skinner

Berkeley

Mayor Tom Bates

Berkeley

Councilmember Jesse Arreguin

Berkeley

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli

Berkeley

Councilmember Susan Wengraf

Berkeley

Councilmember Kriss Worthington

Berkeley


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