President Joe Biden is looking to increase clean energy production. Currently, it accounts for just 7% of U.S electricity consumption, and the president wants that number up to 100%. To meet his goal by 2035, a workforce will be needed-and fast! A new report says 910,000 workers are needed in the solar industry alone, four times higher than currently available today.
The estimate comes after a year of job loss within the solar industry, attributed to coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns that halted residential and commercial solar installation projects. In 2020, more than 231,000 workers were employed in the solar industry – down 6.7% from 2019 to its lowest level since 2015 according to The National Solar Jobs Census co-released Thursday by SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association), BW Research Partnership with SEIA (The Solar Foundation) Interstate Renewable Energy Council & UICC Alliance for Sustainable Communities as well as AECOM Global Sustainability Solutions LLC.
Although the report shows a decrease in solar industry employment, some states have seen an increase. For instance, Florida experienced 71% growth, and Texas reported 44%. It’s important to remember that there were only six states where more jobs existed than the year before.
The report uses data from the 2021 U.S. Energy and Employment Report, which provides an estimate of energy jobs that do not require a university degree or technical training in fields like construction work, utility operation, and maintenance services by 2020 according to its definition of solar workers as those who spend most their time on solar-related job duties.
