Governors' Wind Energy Coalition

The solar industry shed 4 percent of its jobs in 2017, and 2018 is looking worse, thanks to the new tariff on panel and cell imports imposed by the Trump administration. The Solar Foundation’s annual National Solar Job Census, released today, said installations would fall to 10.1 gigawatts, down 16 percent from 2017, which itself was off from the record year the industry enjoyed in 2016. The biggest job losses last year came in states where the industry was best established, like California and Massachusetts, but the Solar Energy Industries Association has said tariffs could create the most problems in new southern markets. “Of course, all the jobs dropped off in the last year,” said Ed Gilliland, a senior director for The Solar Foundation. “If you put it in the longer trend, it’s a very vibrant industry