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The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) just released a report detailing the number of U.S. solar jobs compared to the number of oil and natural gas extraction jobs of the last year. What’s exciting about it? There are now more solar jobs compared to oil and natural gas for the first time ever.
In fact, it’s good news all around for renewable jobs--compared to oil and gas employment declining, clean energy jobs grew by 6 percent! Globally, the trend is even more substantial, with renewable energy jobs increasing to 8.1 million total jobs (up from 7.7 million the previous year).
However, it’s Solar PV that shines brightest in clean energy employment. Continuing to lead as the largest renewable energy employer with 2.8 million jobs, solar employment grew 22 percent in the last year. That’s 12 times faster than total job creation in last year’s U.S. economy!
It’s no surprise that solar employment is on the rise as solar becomes increasingly in demand. Solar is proven to raise your home value, save you money, and you can lock in low energy rates.
Meanwhile, oil and gas producers have cut over 350,000 jobs, reducing total employment by 18 percent. Oil and gas extraction employment in the U.S. is now just over 1.8 million, while coal mining has declined to 1.9 million jobs.
Adnan Amin, director-general of IRENA, notes that “The continued job growth in the renewable energy sector is significant because it stands in contrast to trends across the energy sector. This increase is being driven by declining renewable energy technology costs and enabling policy frameworks. We expect this to continue as the case for renewables strengthens and countries move to achieve climate targets.”
Growth in the clean energy sector will only continue. Countries around the globe are making huge strides to attain smaller carbon footprints, especially in the aftermath of last year’s Paris climate change conference.
The solar economy has reached the tipping point securing its long-term future even after the present grants and tax credits expire. IRENA believes that by 2030, 24 million more renewable energy jobs will result from increased demands in the renewable energy sector.
Interested in going solar? Call or contact us at 407.331.9077 to find out more. Superior Solar is the #1 solar contractor in Central Florida as ranked by Solar Power World magazine. We’re here to help you go green and start saving money and energy.
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