Solar Emply more than coal

There are now more people working in the solar industry than there are coal miners in the US, according to Politifact.

They cite the Solar Foundation, a nonprofit, which counted 142,698 employees in November of 2013 who spend “at least 50% of their time supporting solar-related activities.”
 

For coal, they reference a 2013 report from U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration saying there were 123,227 coal mining jobs in the U.S.

Companies like Apple are now buying mass quantities of solar energy, as its production costs have fallen far enough in some regions to compete economically with fossil fuels.

SolarCity, the largest installer of residential solar systems in the U.S., nearly doubled its workforce last year, hiring 4,000 people to do everything from system design and site surveys to installation and engineering.

The hiring spree at SolarCity isn’t slowing; it’s picking up speed as the company attempts to install twice as many rooftop solar systems than last year and readies its 1.2 million-square foot factory in New York, which is scheduled to reach full production in 2017.

The solar industry is however still dwarfed by the 9.8 million workers that are employed the oil and gas industry, according to the American Petroleum Industry.

One out of every 78 new jobs created in the U.S. over the past 12 months were created by the solar industry, representing nearly 1.3 percent of all jobs created in the country. Solar companies surveyed for the fifth annual census plan to add another 36,000 employees this year.