Solar power growth, jobs decline during pandemic
LOS ANGELES -
Job losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have wiped out the past five years of workforce growth in the solar energy field, according to a new industry analysis.
The expected June 2020 solar workforce of 188,000 people across the United States is 114,000 below the pre-pandemic forecast of 302,000 workers, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, which said in a statement Monday that the solar industry is now losing jobs at a faster rate than the U.S. economy.
In Massachusetts, the loss of 4,284 solar jobs represents a 52 percent decline from previous projections, according to the association’s analysis.
The national 38 percent drop in solar jobs coincides with a 37 percent decrease in expected solar installations in the second quarter of 2020, the association stated. The U.S. is now on track to install 3 gigawatts of new capacity this quarter, and the association said the decrease from the expected capacity is equivalent to the electricity needed to power 288,000 homes.
“Thousands of solar workers are being laid off each week, but with swift action from Congress, we know that solar can be a crucial part of our economic recovery,” SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement.
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Wyoming wind boost for US utility
WYOMING - US company Black Hills Energy has received regulatory approval to increase the size of its Corriedale wind farm in Wyoming to over 52MW from 40MW previously.
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission approved the additional 12.5MW capacity after the Wyoming Public Service Commission determined the boost was within commission rules.
Black Hills Energy will install five additional turbines, raising the project cost to $79m from $57m.
Corriedale will be built near Cheyenne and is expected to be placed in service in late 2020.
Black Hills said that during the initial subscription period for its Renewable Ready program, applications of interest from…
