UPI reports that “U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said the number of jobs created in the U.S. solar power sector suggested it was an “exciting time” for the industry.”  

“A report published by The Solar Foundation , a 37-year-old non-profit focused on solar power, said there were 142,698 people in the United States employed in the solar industry as of November, a 19.9 increase since September 2012.”  

“‘This is an exciting time for the solar industry in the United States, made even more clear by the latest industry job figures,’ Moniz said in a statement issued Monday after the report was released.”  

“The report said the employment rate in the U.S. solar industry grew 10 times faster than the national average. The Solar Foundation’s census report for 2013 finds 77 percent of the jobs reported in the sector since September 2012 were new jobs. Employment in the sector is expected to grow by 15.6 percent during the next 12 months.”