North Hollywood, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/25/2019 --Pennsylvania's jobs record over the last five years leaves a lot to be desired. The state's growth in the private jobs sector has fallen far behind the national average. But Pennsylvania's solar jobs sector has been a noticeable exception to this downward trend, experiencing impressive growth in recent years with the promise of even greater expansion in 2019 and beyond.
The reasons for this are twofold—a growing desire by Pennsylvania's residents to benefit from clean energy and state-sponsored initiatives to encourage growth in renewable energy use.
Green Solar Technologies Marketing Director, Jorge Ricalday affirms, "At Green Solar Technologies, we're excited to see solar jobs growth in Pennsylvania. We see it as part of a nationwide trend where, as people take advantage of solar energy opportunities it's not just creating cleaner environments but also lucrative, family-sustaining careers."
Pennsylvania's official commitment to renewable energy began with its 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act, which was designed to foster economic development and encourage the use of more diverse and environmentally friendly sources of energy. Under AEPS, Pennsylvania is on track to produce one-half percent of its electricity from solar by 2021.
Considering this goal too ineffectual, last year Gov. Tom Wolf's administration issued a report called Finding Pennsylvania's Solar Future, which lists 15 recommendations and introduces a significantly more ambitious goal of 10 percent solar energy use by 2030.
Last summer Pennsylvania lawmakers also passed a new law to enable a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program. It will help commercial property owners finance the costs of clean energy upgrades, like adding rooftop solar.
According to the National Solar Jobs Census 2018, published by the Solar Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes solar energy, Pennsylvania solar employment jumped 10 percent last year, with 4,219 workers. Due to this increase, the foundation now ranks Pennsylvania 17th among states for solar jobs.
Green Solar Technologies commends Pennsylvania's aggressive commitments to migrating to clean energy alternatives. We would also like to encourage Pennsylvania's residents to consider the benefits of rooftop solar panels as an alternative to reliance on fossil fuels.