E2 and our business community are well-versed on the climate crisis—highlighting the economic imperative of climate action is a central pillar of our advocacy work. However, climate is not the only crisis facing our country, nor the only one that demands action. For too long, the US has experienced growing economic inequality, especially along racial […]
Clean industry advocates who commissioned the analysis say the findings are proof that a green stimulus is necessary, along with a more immediate extension of renewable tax credits and other short-term policies. That’s been a recurring request as the pandemic grinds on. But the regional breakdown of job losses may also raise questions about its […]
40+ states continue to suffer double-digit unemployment in clean energy 14% of sector’s workforce still jobless as industry nears slow season WASHINGTON (October 8, 2020) – The clean energy industry expected to add over 175,000 jobs this year, but enters the final months of 2020 down 477,862 jobs as a stalled recovery plagues the sector. […]
Things got slightly better for the sector in September, when 12,500 jobs were added. The 477,900 unemployment figure is down from the 594,300 jobs that had been lost in March and April. However, clean energy job growth last month was 60 percent slower than job growth nationwide, the analysis said.
Consumer sentiment is already driving this movement. But those market forces are not enough to stave off the ill-effects of global warming. According to a just-released study by Environmental Entrepreneurs, E4TheFuture and the American Council on Renewable Energy, the recession has taken its toll: before the coronavirus, employers projected at least 175,000 clean energy jobs […]
Clean Energy Unemployment Claims in COVID-19 Aftermath, September 202012,500 jobs in clean energy were added in September, leaving almost 14% of the sector’s pre-COVID-19 workforce unemployed according to the latest analysis of federal unemployment filings prepared by BW Research for E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs), E4TheFuture and the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE).
Overall, September’s job gains represented a 0.4% increase in nationwide clean energy jobs and leaves nearly more than 477,900 clean energy workers still out of work in a year the industry projected to add over 175,000 jobs,
While September represents the fourth straight month of job growth for the industry after three months of devastating job losses, just one out of every five clean energy jobs lost between March and May has come back, according to the monthly report. The slow growth is consistent nationwide; no state saw more than a 0.7% increase in employment in September, with 23 states and the District of Columbia adding fewer than 100 jobs each.
In 2018 and 2019, clean energy created about 190,000 new jobs nationwide. Before the coronavirus pandemic, employers projected that more than 175,000 jobs would be added in 2020, according to the 2020 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USEER) employer survey.
While September showed some signs of national economic growth, alarming trends continued. Weekly unemployment claims remain at historic highs, and long-term and permanent unemployment rates have sharply risen since March. With federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds all but exhausted, and negotiations for an additional round of more targeted stimulus relief in question, more layoffs could be imminent.
Before COVID-19, nearly 3.4 million Americans across all 50 states and the District of Columbia worked in clean energy occupations, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, grid modernization, clean vehicles and fuels. That’s more people than work in real estate, banking or agriculture in the U.S., and three times the number of Americans that worked in fossil fuels, according to E2’s Clean Jobs America report.
| SECTOR | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST | SEPT. | SECTOR TOTAL |
| Energy Efficiency | -103,298 | -309,584 | -18,880 | +71,786 | +6,836 | +8,116 | +8,354 | -336,670 |
| Renewables | -23,739 | -71,705 | -4,272 | +17,287 | +1,918 | 2+,571 | +2,273 | -75,669 |
| Clean Vehicles | -11,399 | -35,070 | -2,059 | +10,335 | +896 | +2,182 | +965 | -34,151 |
| Grid & Storage | -6,517 | -19,666 | -1,166 | +4,561 | +428 | +482 | +510 | -21,368 |
| Clean Fuels | -2,186 | -10,390 | -657 | +2,351 | +296 | +205 | +378 | -10,004 |
| MONTHLY TOTAL | -147,139 | -446,416 | -27,035 | +106,320 | +10,373 | +13,556 | +12,479 | -477,862 |
| State | Total Losses | Percent of Clean Energy Workforce |
| California | 81,826 | 14.90% |
| Georgia | 26,899 | 31.20% |
| Florida | 25,166 | 15.00% |
| Michigan | 23,341 | 17.60% |
| Texas | 22,669 | 9.20% |
| North Carolina | 19,533 | 17.00% |
| Pennsylvania | 17,883 | 18.40% |
| Washington | 17,693 | 19.90% |
| Ohio | 15,519 | 13.40% |
| New York | 14,865 | 9.10% |
For a full breakdown of clean energy jobs losses in each state, download the full analysis here.
The analysis expands on data from the 2020 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) produced by the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) in partnership with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), using data collected and analyzed by the BW Research Partnership. The report was released in March 2020 and is available at www.usenergyjobs.org. E2 is a partner on the USEER, the fifth installment of the energy survey first released by the Department of Energy in 2016 and subsequently abandoned under the Trump administration.
If you are looking for additional insight into this report or E2’s more than a dozen other annual clean energy employment reports, visit e2.org/reports. You can also contact E2 Communications Director Michael Timberlake ([email protected]).
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Biden was right, though, when he claimed that weatherizing buildings will create “thousands and thousands of jobs.” According to a report by Environmental Entrepreneurs, energy efficiency jobs grew by 76,000 in 2018, and nationwide the field “employs twice the number of workers” than the fossil-fuel industry does. Since buildings that lose energy lose money for […]
WASHINGTON – The U.S House is poised to pass the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which includes the potential for funding increases to important energy efficiency programs; solar energy development for low-income communities; research in energy storage and provisions to address environmental justice issues. It also includes a phase-out of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a greenhouse […]
In 2019, clean energy jobs in Pennsylvania increased for the seventh straight year since E2 began releasing annual clean energy jobs reports in the state, growing to nearly 94,000 workers statewide before the effects of the coronavirus outbreak impacted the nation’s economy. A regional and national leader in clean energy jobs, Pennsylvania ranked just outside the top ten (11th) for total clean energy jobs among all 50 states and the District of Columbia for the third year in a row. Since 2017, the state has added more new jobs (8,253) than six of the current top ten states and now trails No. 10 Virginia by fewer than 3,500 workers.
Despite its large workforce size, recent years of strong growth and consistent high performance across clean technologies, Pennsylvania’s clean economy is underperforming its potential, as the state’s clean energy workforce still makes up a lower share of total statewide jobs than the national average. Growth in recent years has been driven primarily by energy efficiency, solar energy, and grid modernization—high growth areas for the future that will be important as the state’s economy faces its toughest test as the nation reels and rebuilds after the impact of COVID-19 economic shutdowns.
E2, the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA), the Green Building Alliance (GBA), Green Building United, the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, and Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Clean Jobs Pennsylvania 2020 details the size, scope, and diversity of this important employment sector, the troubles it is currently facing due to the pandemic, and how focusing recovery policies on clean energy can get struggling Pennsylvania workers and businesses back on track and the state’s economy up and running again for the long run.
The complete report is available for download at this link.
The analysis expands on data from the 2020 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) produced by the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) in partnership with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), using data collected and analyzed by the BW Research Partnership. The report was released in March 2020and is available at www.usenergyjobs.org. E2 is a partner on the USEER, the fifth installment of the energy survey first released by the Department of Energy in 2016 and subsequently abandoned under the Trump administration. Clean energy jobs have grown every year since the first report was released in 2016.
If you are looking for additional insight into E2’s Clean Jobs Pennsylvania 2020 or our other Clean Jobs America reports, visit e2.org/reports. You can also contact E2 Communications Director Michael Timberlake ([email protected]). An FAQ is also available here to answer any questions.
Clean Jobs Pennsylvania 2020 is the 5th statewide clean energy jobs report from E2. Previous reports can be accessed in the below links.
PA was home to 11th most clean energy jobs before COVID-19 Jobs in renewables grew 11.8% from 2017-2019 as natural gas employment dropped 10% 18,000 jobs lost since COVID-19, wiping out 19% of industry’s workforce Pittsburgh (September 23, 2020) – Led by strong growth in solar energy, grid modernization, and energy efficiency, Pennsylvania added more […]
Climate change is the most significant global threat we face today. It also represents an unprecedented opportunity to build a clean economy by electrifying and decarbonizing our world, equitably and profitably. Momentum is building as businesses and governments transform their organizations to be more efficient and resilient. The VERGE 20 online event is the leading […]
Please join E2 to examine the findings of our just-released Clean Jobs Pennsylvania 2020 report. Our discussion will outline how 2019 marked the seventh straight year of growth in Pennsylvania clean energy jobs and why clean energy has the greatest potential to support future economic growth as we recover from the job losses suffered as […]