Nebraska has tremendous potential for solar energy development, one of the best in the country, and numerous opportunities for its application, including solar powered irrigation on our state’s many farms and ranches—not to mention rooftop and ground solar systems to reduce a farm’s energy costs over the lifetime of the solar panels, which typically last 25 to 30 years. Rural and urban renewable energy development is creating huge economic benefits, including local jobs, to communities all across the country.

The State Solar Jobs Map shows that Nebraska ranks 46th in the number of solar jobs per capita and Iowa 45th. According to the website’s latest figures, Nebraska has 120 solar jobs and Iowa 210. Other states’ jobs per capita rankings include:

1st   Arizona – 9,800 jobs
2nd  Hawaii – 1,600
3rd   California – 43,700
4th   Washington DC – 720
5th   Nevada – 2,400
6th   Oregon – 2,900
7th   Colorado – 3,600
8th   Massachusetts – 4,500
9th   New Jersey – 5,700
10th New Mexico – 1,100

A description of the map from the website:
“Employment figures in the State Solar Jobs Map were generated using thousands of data points from a combination of high-quality sources, including The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2012, the Solar Energy Industries Association’s National Solar Database, and other sources. These numbers are believed to be the most credible and up-to-date state-level jobs numbers in existence. It is also the first time that all 50 states are highlighted. While many states may benefit from conducting their own jobs studies, the cost of doing so is often prohibitive.” http://thesolarfoundation.org/solarstates