▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 4 3 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁solar ▁industry ▁and ▁ 4 3 ▁states ▁deploy ▁net ▁meter ing , ▁where ▁energy ▁util ities ▁buy ▁back ▁excess ▁energy ▁generated ▁by ▁solar ▁arrays . ▁ ▁Ren ew able ▁energy ▁reached ▁a ▁major ▁mil estone ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁quarter ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁when ▁it ▁contributed ▁ 1 1 . 7 % ▁of ▁total ▁US ▁energy ▁production ▁( ▁of ▁energy ), ▁sur pass ing ▁nuclear ▁energy ▁production ▁( ). ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁that ▁renew ables ▁exceed ed ▁nuclear ▁in ▁total ▁US ▁energy ▁production . ▁ ▁H ydro elect ric ▁power ▁is ▁currently ▁the ▁largest ▁producer ▁of ▁renew able ▁energy ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁It ▁produced ▁around ▁ 6 . 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁total ▁electric ity ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁which ▁was ▁ 6 0 . 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁renew able ▁energy ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁is ▁the ▁fourth ▁largest ▁producer ▁of ▁hydro elect ric ity ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁after ▁China , ▁Canada , ▁and ▁Brazil . ▁The ▁Grand ▁Cou lee ▁Dam ▁is ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁largest ▁hydro elect ric ▁power ▁station ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁US ▁wind ▁power ' s ▁installed ▁capacity ▁now ▁exceed s ▁ 6 5 , 0 0 0 ▁M W ▁and ▁supplies ▁ 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁nation '