Colorado solar jobs declined 32 percent since 2010

The number of solar jobs in Colorado has declined to 3,600 last year from 5,300 in 2010, a 32-percent decrease, according to job reports from the Solar Foundation.

The Washington, D.C., nonprofit, which began tracking solar employment in 2010, released the findings from its 2013 jobs census this week. Last year, the U.S. solar industry employed almost 143,000 people in 2013, an increase of more than 23,600 new jobs from the prior year. The total number of U.S. solar jobs has increased by 50,000 since 2010.

Colorado’s solar industry saw a high of nearly 6,200 jobs in 2011. But in 2013, solar jobs saw flat growth from 3,600 jobs in 2012, according to the Solar Foundation. Colorado ranked No. 9 in solar jobs last year, down from No. 6 the prior year.

California ranked No. 1 with more than 47,200 workers in 2013, up from 43,700 in 2012. In terms of jobs per capita, Vermont made the biggest jump to No. 1 from No. 11.

Margaret McCall, energy associate with conservation group Environment Colorado in Denver, said solar policies in Colorado, such as changes to net-metering, have led to the statewide decrease in employment.

“Uncertainty for the future of solar policies is what we see as a big driver for the lack of growth between 2012 and 2013,” McCall said.

Northern Colorado’s solar industry lost more than 400 jobs in 2012 when solar panel manufacturer Abound Solar Inc. declared bankruptcy.

on Facebook on LinkedIn