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Clean Energy Jobs in U.S. Are Growing at a Rate 2x as Fast as Overall Jobs: DOE Report

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02 Sep, 2024

This post was originally published on Eco Watch

Jobs in the clean energy industry are taking off, with jobs in this field growing at twice the rate as the overall job growth rate in all industries in the U.S., according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The 2024 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) revealed that employment in the clean energy industry increased by 142,000 jobs last year, a rate of 4.2% growth. As Reuters reported, this is up from a 3.9% rate of growth in clean energy jobs in 2022.

By comparison, total job growth in the U.S. reached a rate of 2% for 2023, the report found.

“Zooming out even further, clean energy jobs grew at more than double the rate of the rest of the U.S. economy, and that growth was driven by the utilities and construction sectors in particular — think new jobs building renewable energy and upgrading our grid,” said Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk, as reported by The Hill.

According to the data, the highest number of total clean energy jobs are in California, followed by Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois.

But clean energy jobs are growing all over the country, and Idaho has shown promise with the fastest rate of new jobs in clean energy at a 7.7% increase. Clean energy job growth reached 6% in Texas and 5.9% in New Mexico.

Solar and wind have had high levels of job growth, according to the USEER. Solar job growth reached 5.3% last year, and the wind energy industry jobs increased by 4.5%. 

The DOE has anticipated that electricity generation from clean energy sources will double by the end of the decade.

A separate report from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) found that solar, wind and battery storage were increasing exponentially, with clean energy capacity even surpassing coal electricity generation capacity for the first 7 months of 2024.

But clean energy jobs are increasing across the board, not just in electricity generation. According to the DOE, all five USEER categories saw employment growth last year: electric power generation; energy efficiency; fuels; motor vehicles; and transmission, distribution and storage.

The energy sector overall added more than 250,000 jobs in 2023, with 56% of the jobs being in clean energy.

“We are now starting to see the job impacts of investments made through the infrastructure and inflation reduction laws — first in construction and as America builds more of these factories, we’ll see hundreds of thousands more,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. “The data clearly show that clean energy means jobs — good jobs, union jobs, and jobs retained — in communities across the country as we race to dominate the global clean energy economy.”

The post Clean Energy Jobs in U.S. Are Growing at a Rate 2x as Fast as Overall Jobs: DOE Report appeared first on EcoWatch.

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Planning approval for B2B green hydrogen facility

Planning approval for B2B green hydrogen facility

Planning approval has been granted for Energys’ green hydrogen production facility in Hastings, Victoria, after 18 months of dedicated engagement with the Victorian planning system.

This project represents a significant step forward in Australia’s energy transition. The commercially focused green hydrogen B2B industrial supply initiative is aimed at displacing grey hydrogen currently produced from natural gas.

At the core of the facility will be a 1 MW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser, powered by grid electricity during periods of surplus renewable generation and low wholesale energy prices.

Under a strategic agreement, Coregas — an Australian producer of liquid hydrogen — will operate the site and manage all downstream logistics including compression, liquefaction, cylinder and trailer filling, and distribution to end users. Hydrogen produced at the Hastings facility will be marketed and sold under commercial terms through Coregas to a growing base of industrial and mobility customers.

“This project positions Victoria at the forefront of green hydrogen innovation,” said Roger Knight, CEO of Energys. “By displacing emissions-intensive grey hydrogen with a zero-carbon alternative, we are making a tangible contribution to decarbonising key sectors such as industrial gas, transport and stationary energy.”

Green hydrogen supplied from this site will reduce emissions in the stationary power along with road and marine transport markets through the displacement of diesel.

Energys’ core activity is the manufacture of hydrogen fuel cell power systems and this project will supply green hydrogen to the Victorian market including the company’s customer base.

The project’s operating model leverages grid flexibility, utilising electricity during periods of excess supply, which aligns with broader energy market goals of enhancing system stability and integrating renewable energy.

This development reinforces the company’s commitment to advancing practical, scalable clean energy solutions that support Australia’s net-zero ambitions and foster a low-emissions future.

Energys received support from the Victorian Government through The Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund (CPF).

Image caption: 3D render of the Hastings facility. Image: Supplied

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