Top Ten States That Lead the Nation in Solar Energy Production

2016 is shaping up to be the biggest year ever for solar energy production, and utility-scale projects are making up the majority of the installed capacity. The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) reports that utility scale represents two-thirds of the market with an operating portfolio of 13,882 MWDC, 21,642 MWDC in construction and/or pre-negotiated power purchase agreements and 30,700 MWDC in the pre-contract pipeline. Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2016, residential solar hit its one-millionth installation. This growth has resulted in 209,000 jobs nationwide and a carbon offset of almost 900,000 metric tons of carbon emissions in the business sector alone.

As a nationwide effort, the move to solar is generating clean energy and an economic boost to communities in nearly every state. The NREL Jobs and Economic Development Impact Model reports that a single 2 MW solar project can generate estimated wage earnings in excess of 1 million dollars, while pumping an estimated 1.6 million dollars into the local economy during the construction phase alone.

So which states are taking the most advantage of the solar energy boom as of 2016? Here’s a list of the top ten, compiled by our friends at SEIA:

Cypress Creek Renewables is proud to be part of the national move to solar. With 2.6 gigawatts of utility-scale solar either deployed or in development in states across the nation, we’re proud to be the fastest growing developer of local solar energy production. Find out more about our operations by visiting the How We Do It page next.