Summary:
Colorado’s clean energy sector employed 61,179 workers by the end of 2021 — an increase of 5.2 percent. The energy efficiency sector continued to lead the field, accounting for 56 percent of all state clean energy jobs, followed by renewable energy and clean vehicles.
Other Key Findings
- 1 in 10 construction jobs in Colorado are in clean energy
- 27% growth in clean vehicles led all clean energy sectors
- 42% of all energy industry jobs in Colorado are in clean energy
- Small businesses (<20 employees) accounted for about 2 out of every 3 clean energy jobs
Colorado Clean Energy Employment, 2021
| Energy Efficiency | 34,205 |
| Renewables | 17,625 |
| Clean Vehicles | 4,318 |
| Storage and Grid | 3,044 |
| Clean Fuels | 1,987 |
| TOTAL | 61,179 |
Policies Matter
Colorado continues to be a leader in the Mountain States in clean energy jobs, in a large part due to the successes in adopting clean energy policies year after year. The 2022 legislative session was no exception. Our priority legislation addressed air quality, wildfire response, equity, and the clean economy.3
With a unanimous decision, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) recently approved Xcel Energy’s plan to retire the Comanche 3 coal power plant in Pueblo, Colorado, no later than January 1, 2031, bringing an end to coal in the state. This agreement, supported by stakeholders, ensures a just transition that is fair to workers and the community.4
Despite this progress, a recent state official report shows Colorado is behind in achieving its legislated goals of 26 percent cuts of greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2025.5 Colorado lawmakers need to adopt ambitious policies in all sectors to bring down emissions and increase opportunity to save money and develop new jobs in the clean economy.
Previous Reports
Clean Jobs Colorado 2022 is the 6th clean energy jobs report for Colorado from E2. Previous reports can be accessed in the below links.
Background
This is the sixth annual Clean Jobs Colorado report produced by E2 based on analysis of the USEER, which was first released by the DOE in 2016. E2 was an original proponent of the DOE producing the USEER and was a partner on the reports produced by the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) and National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) after the Trump administration abandoned it in 2017.
For additional insight into E2’s Clean Jobs Colorado or our other annual clean energy economic reports, visit e2.org/reports.
An FAQ is available at e2.org/reports/clean-jobs-america-faq.