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Utah Now Ranks 14th Nationally In Solar Industry Jobs

energy.utah.gov

A renewable energy group says that the state of Utah now has more than 4,400 jobs in the solar industry.

The Solar Foundation says that ranks 14th in the country and seventh nationwide on a per capita basis.

The group said in its seventh annual National Solar Jobs Census released this week Utah added 1,729 solar industry jobs in 2016. That's a 65 percent increase from the previous year.

Solar Foundation President Andrea Luecke says all but six states reported an increase last year. Nationally, solar jobs grew by 51,000 for a total of more than 260,000 in 2016.

Lueke says the number of U.S. jobs in the industry has tripled since 2010 due largely to recent reductions in the cost of solar panels and unprecedented consumer demand. California has the most solar jobs, followed by Massachusetts, Texas and Nevada.