According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2018, about 17% of the electricity generated was from renewable sources (primarily wind, solar & hydropower), with 1.6% coming from solar.
In early 2019, the Solar Foundation released its National Solar Census, which shows that, since 2017, the total number of jobs in the industry has now fallen for the second year in a row. 242,343 people were employed in solar jobs in 2018, a 3.2% decline on the previous year. That comes after the industry contracted by 3.8% in 2017, primarily as a result of tariffs.
The outlook for jobs in the industry is expected to improve in 2019 due to a backlog of utility-scale projects and new policy incentives in key U.S. states. The Solar Foundation has forecast a 7% increase in jobs for this year, bringing the total to 259,400.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory, October 2021
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