Climate crisis “is costing our businesses and our economy every year” WASHINGTON – More than 400 U.S. business leaders called on Congress to “go big and go bold” to address the climate crisis threatening the economy and pass the Build Back Better Act in a letter delivered to all 435 members of Congress this week. […]
$120,000 to Fund Six Sustainability and Clean Energy Projects from Young Business Leaders SAN FRANCISCO – National nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) and sustainability-driven hotel brand 1 Hotels announced the 2021 1 Hotels Fellowship class at E2 today as Climate Week NYC and National Clean Energy Week hit into high gear. This is the fourth year of the […]
More than 113,400 Michiganders worked in alternative energy at the end of 2020, according to a study released by the Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) and Clean Energy Trust. The report comes as the U.S. Congress and the Biden administration are considering legislation to boost federal investments in clean energy and clean vehicles, and as the state […]
There’s a dearth of women and people of color working in clean energy, a problem within one of the fastest-growing sectors in the U.S. Women make up less than 30% of all workers in clean energy, and racial and ethnic minorities account for 4 in 10 clean energy jobs. Groups underrepresented in the industry lost […]
“If you’re really going to change behavior and combat this climate crisis — and my God, last few weeks have shown why this is urgent — you’ve really got to start with taxes and prices,” Wyden said during an event with the business group Environmental Entrepreneurs, or E2. “That’s how you drive changes in behavior.”
Last year, Illinois’ solar industry had almost 6,000 jobs, according to Clean Energy Trust and Environmental Entrepreneurs, but it’s lost hundreds of positions since because of uncertain government support.
People of color and women are “vastly underrepresented” in clean energy jobs compared to the U.S. workforce at large, and many underrepresented groups lost ground between 2017 and 2020, according to a report released last week by BW Research Partnership, E2, and a coalition of clean energy industry groups.
WASHINGTON – The House Ways and Means Committee unveiled its list of revenue priorities and tax reforms (or “pay-fors”) it will rely on to fund the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. Statement from Sandra Purohit, director of federal advocacy for the national, nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs): “The cost of going small is too high. […]
Illinois set to remain regional leader in clean energy job growth through bold renewable energy policies, funding for workforce training and equity SPRINGFIELD, IL – Last night the Illinois House passed energy legislation that makes Illinois the first state in the Midwest to commit to 100% carbon-free power by 2045. This critical step for Illinois’ […]
Women, Black, and Hispanic/Latino Workers Underrepresented in US Clean Energy WASHINGTON – As Congress considers the most significant domestic investment ever made to speed America’s transition to clean energy, a new employment report from a collaboration of business, equity, and energy organizations highlights the need for Congress to include funding to advance diversity in clean energy […]
(Reuters) – U.S. clean energy jobs are overwhelmingly dominated by white men, and efforts to boost industries like renewable energy and electric vehicles should make sure that women and people of color are not overlooked, a report published on Thursday said. More than 60% of workers that hold jobs in clean energy industries like electric […]
Despite its broad range of businesses, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, professional services, and repair and maintenance, the clean energy sector is dominated by white men. Given the incredible job growth of the energy sector over the past decade, this lack of diversity threatens to cause women, Hispanic and Latino workers, and Black workers in particular to miss out on one of America’s great economic expansions.
About 61 percent of clean energy workers across America are white non-Hispanics. Black and Hispanic/Latino workers are more poorly represented in clean energy than they are across the rest of the economy, with Black people composing 8 percent of the clean energy workforce (compared with 13 percent economy-wide) and Hispanic/Latinos making up 16.5 percent (versus 18 percent economy-wide). Women represent less than 30 percent of all workers in the sector despite accounting for nearly half (48 percent) of the U.S. labor force as a whole.
As the United States looks to build back a better, cleaner, more equitable economy, a renewed focus on increasing diversity in the clean energy sector should be an economic imperative. Both the transition to a low-carbon energy system and proposed state and federal stimulus to boost the economy have the potential to create millions of new jobs across the United States. Policies that support the energy sector and its low-carbon transition should focus on the inclusion of women and underrepresented ethnic and racial groups, particularly Black workers (who are often the most poorly represented in the sector), so that economic benefits are more equitably shared.
The study expands on data from the 2021 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) produced by the U.S. Department of Energy. Among the report’s key findings:
The full report includes national and state-by-state breakdowns on demographics across all clean energy sectors, multi-year demographic trends, comparisons to other energy sectors including fossil fuels and gas and diesel vehicles, and specific findings on individual occupations.
| Demographic | Overall US Labor Force | Total Energy Workforce | Clean Energy Workforce | Fossil Fuel Workforce |
| White | 76% | 74% | 73% | 74% |
| Black/African-American | 13% | 10% | 8% | 9% |
| Asian | 7% | 7% | 8% | 6% |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | <1% | 1% | 1% | <1% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | <1% | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| Two or more races | 2% | 8% | 8% | 9% |
| People of Color | 22% | 28% | 26% | 26% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 18% | 16% | 17% | 13% |
| Women | 48% | 25% | 27% | 27% |
This analysis indicates that more needs to be done to address racial inequities in clean energy and the broader economy. As we rebuild the U.S. economy in the wake of COVID-19, we have a chance to do it in ways that create new opportunities for people of color. As Congress and state lawmakers focus on clean energy’s role in the recovery, they should focus as well on rebuilding the economy more equitably.
President Biden’s Justice40 initiative mandating that 40 percent of the benefits from federal climate action go to disadvantaged communities is a step in the right direction. But there are many steps lawmakers can take—right now—to ensure greater diversity in the clean energy workforce in the months and years ahead.
Read the report’s policy recommendations starting on page 24.
This is the first-ever comprehensive report on diversity in the U.S. clean energy workforce. This analysis was conducted by BW Research Partnership for E2, the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Association of Blacks in Energy, Black Owners of Solar Services (BOSS), and Energy Efficiency for All. Early drafts of this report were also reviewed by the Policy Committee of BOSS. It expands on data from the 2021 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) produced by the Department of Energy, using data collected and analyzed by BW Research Partnership. The USEER analyzes data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages to track employment across many energy production, transmission, and distribution subsectors. For further methodology questions, see pages 201–206 of the USEER.
Other sources of data are noted throughout.