Query: There are already more American jobs in the solar industry than in coal mining.

Relevant passages:
Renewable energy commercialization <=SEP=> Renewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years . First-generation technologies , which are already mature and economically competitive , include biomass , hydroelectricity , geothermal power and heat . Second-generation technologies are market-ready and are being deployed at the present time ; they include solar heating , photovoltaics , wind power , solar thermal power stations , and modern forms of bioenergy . Third-generation technologies require continued R&D efforts in order to make large contributions on a global scale and include advanced biomass gasification , hot-dry-rock geothermal power , and ocean energy . As of 2012 , renewable energy accounts for about half of new nameplate electrical capacity installed and costs are continuing to fall .   Public policy and political leadership helps to `` level the playing field '' and drive the wider acceptance of renewable energy technologies . Countries such as Germany , Denmark , and Spain have led the way in implementing innovative policies which has driven most of the growth over the past decade . As of 2014 , Germany has a commitment to the `` Energiewende '' transition to a sustainable energy economy , and Denmark has a commitment to 100 % renewable energy by 2050 . There are now 144 countries with renewable energy policy targets .   Renewable energy continued its rapid growth in 2015 , providing multiple benefits . There was a new record set for installed wind and photovoltaic capacity ( 64GW and 57GW ) and a new high of US$ 329 Billion for global renewables investment . A key benefit that this investment growth brings is a growth in jobs . The top countries for investment in recent years were China , Germany , Spain , the United States , Italy , and Brazil . Renewable energy companies include BrightSource Energy , First Solar , Gamesa , GE Energy , Goldwind , Sinovel , Trina Solar , Vestas , and Yingli .   Climate change concerns are also driving increasing growth in the renewable energy industries . According to a 2011 projection by the ( IEA ) International Energy Agency , solar power generators may produce most of the world 's electricity within 50 years , reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions .   Renewable power has been more effective in creating jobs than coal or oil in the United States .

Coal mining <=SEP=> Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground . Coal is valued for its energy content , and , since the 1880s , has been widely used to generate electricity . Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production . In the United Kingdom and South Africa a coal mine and its structures are a colliery ; a coal mine a pit ; the above-ground structures the pit head . In Australia , `` colliery '' generally refers to an underground coal mine . In the United States `` colliery '' has been used to describe a coal mine operation but nowadays the word is not commonly used .   Coal mining has had many developments over the recent years , from the early days of men tunnelling , digging and manually extracting the coal on carts , to large open cut and long wall mines . Mining at this scale requires the use of draglines , trucks , conveyors , hydraulic jacks and shearers .

West Virginia <=SEP=> West Virginia -LSB- wɛst_vərˈdʒɪnjə -RSB- is a state located in the Appalachian region of the Southern United States . It is bordered by Virginia to the southeast , Kentucky to the southwest , Ohio to the northwest , Pennsylvania to the north ( and , slightly , east ) , and Maryland to the northeast . West Virginia is the 9th smallest by area , is ranked 38th in population , and has the second lowest household income of the 50 United States . The capital and largest city is Charleston .   West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions of 1861 , in which delegates from some Unionist counties of northwestern Virginia decided to break away from Virginia during the American Civil War , although they included many secessionist counties in the new state . West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20 , 1863 , and was a key Civil War border state . West Virginia was the only state to form by separating from a Confederate state , the first to separate from any state since Maine separated from Massachusetts , and was one of two states formed during the American Civil War ( the other being Nevada ) .   The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States . The northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio , with the West Virginia cities of Wheeling and Weirton just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area , while Bluefield is less than 70 mi from North Carolina . Huntington in the southwest is close to the states of Ohio and Kentucky , while Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry in the Eastern Panhandle region are considered part of the Washington metropolitan area , in between the states of Maryland and Virginia . The unique position of West Virginia means that it is often included in several geographical regions , including the Mid-Atlantic , the Upland South , and the Southeastern United States . It is the only state that is entirely within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission ; the area is commonly defined as `` Appalachia '' .   The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills , its historically significant logging and coal mining industries , and its political and labor history . It is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world , making it a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research . The karst lands contribute to much of the state 's cool trout waters . It is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities , including skiing , whitewater rafting , fishing , hiking , backpacking , mountain biking , rock climbing , and hunting .