March 17, 2017
Employment in the renewable energy sector fell 16 per cent in the year to June 2016, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The fall continued a decline in renewable energy employment since 2011-12.
The figures come after the federal government this week expressed support for a proposal to invest in battery storage technology in South Australia, and announced a $2 billion extension of the Snowy Hydro scheme.
Annual full time equivalent employment in renewable energy activities was estimated to be 11,150 in 2015-16, down 16 per cent from 13,300 in 2014-15 and down from a peak of 19,220 in 2011-12, according to the ABS.
Small scale solar energy, including rooftop solar photovoltaics and solar hot water, constitute the majority of employment among all renewable energy activity types.
In 2015-16 it was estimated that annual full time equivalent employment in small scale solar was 5,570 or 50 per cent of total employment in renewable energy activities.
This represented a 61 per cent decline in small scale solar since 2011-12, when 14,300 people were employed in the sector.
The decline has been attributed to a reduction in the number of rooftop solar panels being installed.
Comments:
Time to stop the self destruction, forget about a carbon price and worry about how the population will feed themselves if they have no jobs.
Great comment from Vince above – Mick Raven
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