Monroe County among top counties in NY for solar jobs

Almost 2,000 people were employed by the burgeoning solar industry in New Mexico a year ago, and experts say the state is on the verge of major growth.

In Los Angeles and Orange counties, more than one-third of the solar employees were women and minorities, according to the report.

California has five times more solar jobs than MA, the second highest ranking state. But by the end of 2016, the Foundation expects installed capacity to jump by almost 65 percent to 595 MW, or enough solar electricity to power about 139,000 homes.

Nationally, New Mexico ranks 27th in solar jobs, although it’s seventh in solar jobs as a share of total state employment.

The amount of new solar capacity the state is expected to add in 2016 – 233 megawatts – is more than “quadruple” what was added in 2015, the report says, in part due to several new solar plants opened by the Public Service Company of New Mexico and independent contractors.

“Solar job creation is booming across the country”, Andrea Luecke, president and executive director of The Solar Foundation, said in a statement.

But with rooftop solar companies laying off workers here in reaction to a decision that will increase energy bills for customers, the report said growth is expected to taper.

The report notes that the general decline in installation costs has been essential to solar market growth.

“Solar power is a bright spot in California’s economy, bringing jobs and economic development to every corner of the state”, said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar Energy Industries Association.

Still, New Mexico continues to lag behind other southwestern states in terms of solar installations and employment.

Nationwide, the solar industry experienced a record-breaking year in 2015.

The U.S. solar industry now employs slightly over 200,000 workers, representing a growth of 20 percent since November of 2014.

The solar industry has almost doubled in size since the foundation’s first census in 2010.