In the first quarter of 2015, nearly 40 clean energy or clean transportation projects were announced in 19 states. Together, these projects are expected to create more than 9,800 jobs, according to jobs tracking analysis by E2.
Largely due to a big spike in solar projects, this number is almost double the number of jobs tracked during the corresponding quarter in 2014, and roughly equivalent to the fourth quarter 2014.
Georgia, California, and Texas led the nation in job announcements, followed by New Mexico, Michigan, Colorado, Virginia, Utah, Maryland and Indiana. The solar industry was the top sector for job growth. It announced more than 6,600 jobs in generation and manufacturing at 19 projects across the country. Declining materials costs and favorable policies have spurred tremendous growth in solar; however, the sunset of the federal Investment Tax Credit in 2016 could be a challenge to the industry.
In Georgia, solar installation projects helped make it the No. 1 state for clean energy job announcements in Q1. Five projects, which will cumulatively produce 382 MW of power from solar cells across 3,500 acres in Taylor County, could create approximately 2,000 jobs. Major electric utility Southern Company will purchase power from at least one of the projects, and others are lining up for the rest.