New analysis from the Cleantech Group and E2 shows California’s nation-leading clean energy policies, especially AB32, have helped stimulate big investments in key cleantech markets, driven job creation, and resulted in energy savings to businesses and customers. Other states are following suit.
View Report »More than 3.3 million Americans now work in clean energy. That’s more Americans than work in agriculture, banking, real estate – and double the number of workers in fossil fuel. Through our clean energy employment research and the inspiring stories of our members, E2 makes sure our lawmakers and the public understand the impact that […]
In the third quarter of 2015, 34 clean energy and clean transportation projects were announced across 22 states. Combined, these projects are expected to create just shy of 10,000 jobs, with solar once again the top sector. Utah, California, and Colorado led the nation in job announcements, followed by Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Maine, Nebraska, Mississippi, and North Dakota. Since E2 began tracking jobs in 2012, more than 250,000 clean energy and clean transportation jobs have been announced.
View Report »In the second quarter of 2015, nearly 40 clean energy and clean transportation projects were announced across 22 states. Combined, these projects are expected to create nearly 10,500 jobs.
Texas, Nevada, and California led the nation in announced jobs, followed by Utah, North Carolina, Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado, Virginia, and Nebraska. In Texas, solar and wind installation projects drove the state’s top performance.
Two new wind farms will cumulatively produce 402 MW of power from wind turbines in the Lone Star State, while Spanish wind manufacturer GRI Renewable Industries will create 300 jobs with a new wind turbine manufacturing plant in Amarillo. Three solar farms will add another 320 MW of Texas power and could create up to 1,364 jobs in Windthorst, Floyd, Andrews, and Pecos counties.
View Report »California’s 40-year commitment to energy efficiency has saved Californians $90 billion on their utility bills, created hundreds of thousands of efficiency jobs, and will have avoided the pollution from 41 power plants by the end of the next decade, according to a report published by NRDC and E2. However, the report cautioned that a major efficiency ramp-up is necessary to meet the state’s long-term climate and energy goals.
View Report »As Tennessee’s clean energy economy expands, the industry will contribute to statewide economic vitality. With a diverse renewable energy portfolio and robust employment across all value-chain activities, employers are optimistic about future growth. Increased support for local suppliers and vendors will encourage successful industry expansion, spur local job creation, and further bolster the state’s economy.
Tennessee could capitalize on its market diversity by tapping into the region’s renewable potential and committing to energy efficiency as a resource. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that Tennessee’s technical solar potential for utility-scale projects is 1,296 GW and 16 GW for rooftop photovoltaics. With an additional 54 GW potential from geothermal systems and 1 GW from hydropower, the state’s clean energy cluster will benefit by developing these resources.49 Other states provide solid examples of how effective energy efficiency policies focused on consumer incentives, rebates and proactive utility programs can create jobs across traditional industries, especially within the building trades.50 States that are leaders in energy efficiency have illustrated that supportive clean energy policies are highly correlated to economic impacts, particularly regarding construction-related employment. If Tennessee could emulate these policies, the resulting employment impact could exceed 10,000 new clean energy jobs across the state.
Tennessee is already home to more than 2,600 clean energy employers and nearly 45,000 workers. Its companies supply the market with electric cars, energy efficient materials, renewable energy and advanced building controls. Clean energy employers are adding jobs faster than the overall state economy and project continued growth in the coming year. To sustain this growth, many firms report the need for greater consumer incentives, more supportive policies on renewable energy and more innovative financing mechanisms to expand the state’s clean energy market.
View Report »In the first quarter of 2015, nearly 40 clean energy or clean transportation projects were announced in 19 states. Together, these projects are expected to create more than 9,800 jobs, according to jobs tracking analysis by E2.
Largely due to a big spike in solar projects, this number is almost double the number of jobs tracked during the corresponding quarter in 2014, and roughly equivalent to the fourth quarter 2014.
Georgia, California, and Texas led the nation in job announcements, followed by New Mexico, Michigan, Colorado, Virginia, Utah, Maryland and Indiana. The solar industry was the top sector for job growth. It announced more than 6,600 jobs in generation and manufacturing at 19 projects across the country. Declining materials costs and favorable policies have spurred tremendous growth in solar; however, the sunset of the federal Investment Tax Credit in 2016 could be a challenge to the industry.
In Georgia, solar installation projects helped make it the No. 1 state for clean energy job announcements in Q1. Five projects, which will cumulatively produce 382 MW of power from solar cells across 3,500 acres in Taylor County, could create approximately 2,000 jobs. Major electric utility Southern Company will purchase power from at least one of the projects, and others are lining up for the rest.
View Report »Wind is powering Colorado’s economy. All up and down the supply chain, wind companies in Colorado are taking advantage of the state’s supportive policies and strong resources to manufacture wind turbines, construct wind farms, and operate and maintain the power plants. For its wind energy sector to remain competitive with other state-based wind energy economies, Colorado must continue to lead on clean energy policies. The renewable energy standard has been a huge success, but Colorado’s growing renewable energy sector will need new policy momentum for the years after 2020. Colorado has the opportunity to grow its wind sector even more with strong renewables and efficiency policies to support state implementation of the federal Clean Power Plan. Colorado’s leaders should seize these smart policy opportunities — and reap the benefits of new jobs, investment, and a strengthened economy that come with them
View Report »Ohio’s clean energy and transportation businesses and workforce are driving economic growth and providing cleaner, more sustainale energy options for communities across the state. However, the significant progress Ohio has made, and the thousands of jobs that have come with it, are currently at risk unless policymakers reinstate the state’s successful clean energy standards and level the playing field for additional clean energy development. Ohio’s businesses have the ingenuity, manpower and commitment to make the state a continued leader in manufacturing and developing clean energy and transportation technologies. However, they need clear market signals to invest in these growing industries and provide access to the clean energy sources and advanced transporation options that Ohio homeowners and businesses want.
View Report »Missouri’s clean energy and transportation industry, encompassing renewable energy, energy efficiency, advanced transportationii, and greenhouse gas emissions management and accounting, accounts for nearly 40,000 workers at more than 4,400 establishments. This number is roughly double Iowa’s clean energy and transportation workforce, but less than half the
workers in Illinois and Massachusetts, suggesting room for growth.
The energy efficiency sector employs 32,576 clean energy workers, which is 83% of all clean energy jobs in Missouri. Renewable energy firms account for 15% of clean energy employment, or 6,050 workers—3,715 of whom are solar employees.
View Report »Nearly 47,000 clean energy and clean transportation jobs were announced at more than 170 projects across the country in 2014, according to jobs tracking analysis by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).
Nevada, California, and New York led the nation in new job announcements last year, followed by Michigan, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Utah, and New Mexico. Despite the continued growth, ongoing uncertainty over public policy at both the federal and state levels, coupled with the expiration of beneficial tax policies, continued to cast a cloud over clean energy industries, resulting in fewer announcements than in the past. In 2013, for instance, more than 78,000 new clean energy and clean transportation jobs were announced at 260 projects.
In 2014, the solar industry led all sectors in clean energy, thanks to declining materials prices and favorable public policies, including the federal Investment Tax Credit and state Renewable Portfolio Standards. More than 20,000 solar-related jobs were announced at 60-plus projects.
The advanced vehicle sector also had a strong year, with more than 9,000 jobs announced. Tesla Motors’ announcement of a 6,500-employee “Gigafactory” helped make Nevada the No. 1 state for clean energy jobs in the country. In Michigan, General Motors announced plans to hire 1,400 workers for its electric vehicles division.
View Report »Since E2’s third annual report in 2013, the advanced biofuel industry has had both major developments and some significant setbacks. As the industry matures, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions are key to information sharing and process optimization. Some companies have ceased operations or shifted their focus to other markets. Many companies, however, continue to move steadily towards commercialization, with a number of firms expecting to begin production at commercial scale in 2014. We see particular progress for cellulosic ethanol facilities, including the first production of EPA-qualifying cellulosic ethanol delivered in May of 2014. As noted in the 2013 report, there have been some mergers and acquisitions in the past year; a common trend in a maturing industry. For example, Renewable Energy Group acquired LS9, Syntroleum and Dynamic
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