Solar-Powered States

A new study lists 10 U.S. states with the most solar capacity in the nation, as of the second quarter of 2018. California was the undisputed top state with 23 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar.

Nearly 17 percent of all California's power comes from solar installations, and the Golden State currently has more than 86,000 people employed in the sector. The second-highest solar capacity was the "leader in utility-scale solar," North Carolina, with about 4.5 GW of installed solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) report. The Tar Heel State has more than 7,600 solar jobs, CNBC reports.

More than 2 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic solar capacity was installed in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2018, according to a recent report from Wood Mackenzie Power and Renewables and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). While this represents a 9 percent year-on-year decrease, the U.S. is still expected to more than double its photovoltaic capacity over the next five years.

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