U.S. Renewable Energy Jobs Employ 800,000+ People and Rising: in Charts

[HAB911]

Twice as many Americans now work in the wind industry as in coal mining, and solar employs many more, but the U.S. still trails the EU and is far behind China.

Renewable energy jobs are growing around the globe as prices fall and interest in clean power rises. Worldwide, 9.8 million people are now employed in the renewable energy industry, including 3 million in the booming photovoltaic solar sector, up 12 percent from just a year ago, a new study shows.

The United States has seen explosive growth in renewable energy jobs over the past three years, led by solar jobs (up 82 percent) and wind jobs (up 100 percent), according to new numbers released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26052017/infographic-renewable-energy-jobs-worldwide-solar-wind-trump

[procon]

1. And here's the takeaway line:

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is proposing deep cuts to U.S. investment in clean energy innovation in its 2018 budget.

[lostnfound]

2. The "cheap labor party" doesn't want job growth that competes with the resource industries

Could federal investment triple or quadruple the size of this sector?
What would that do to the supply/demand curve for labor?
What would that do to the value of stock in oil and coal companies?
How is the capital class affected?