Solar energy development continues to be slow in Oklahoma and a new report shows the state actually dropped one slot in the national ranking of solar power.
The Solar Energy Industries Association issued a report this week ranking Oklahoma 46th lowest for solar energy, a drop from 45th in 2018.
The report showed 4,604 homes in Oklahoma are powered by solar energy which provides only 0.08% of the state’s electricity. The state’s solar industry employees at least 838 workers.
The total solar investment in Oklahoma is $50.71 million and the amount of solar installation is 35.56 megawatts. Still, Oklahoma has at least 35 solar companies including four manufacturers and 16 installers and developers.
Nationally, some 2.7 gigawatts of solar power capacity were installed in the first quarter of 2019, reaching 67 GW of total installed capacity. It represents a 10 percent increase compared to one year earlier and was the largest first quarter installation of solar energy.
The SEIA predicts the U.S. will install 13 GW of new solar capacity by year’s end which will be a 25 percent increase from 2018.
California was ranked number one in 2018 followed by Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Nevada.
Colorado ranked 11 while New Mexico was 21 and Missouri was 30. Arkansas was ranked 18.
