Community Corner
California Ranked #1 in the Country 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 morning that revealed California has the most solar-related jobs in the country, with an estimated 25,000 people employed by over 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 only 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 over the last 12 months at a pace much faster 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 over 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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