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Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q3 2014

More than 18,000 clean energy and clean transportation jobs were announced in 23 states during the third quarter of 2014. This represents an uptick relative to Q2. This quarter’s numbers are also higher than the corresponding quarter a year ago.

Despite the strong quarter, future clean energy job growth is anything but assured, especially given the uncertainty surrounding the political changes that came with the Nov. 4 election. It will be up to the new Republican-led Congress to decide whether to continue the job-creating clean energy policies that have been crucial to driving clean energy development and employment in every state in the country.

Both Republican and Democratic congressional districts benefited almost equally from clean energy job announcements — indicating that clean energy knows no political boundaries, according to E2’s analysis. At least 9,095 jobs were announced in Republican congressional districts, compared with 7,690 jobs announced in Democratic districts. About 1,250 job announcements spanned both Republican and Democratic districts.

Another reason this quarter’s results are not as rosy as they may initially appear is that utilities seeking maximum return on investment rushed to install solar projects ahead of the scheduled expiration of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar power. The current ITC stipulates that projects must be completed by the end of 2016 in order to qualify for the 30-percent tax credit. Should the lame-duck or new 114th Congress fail to extend or reinstate tax credits for solar, wind, and energy efficiency, it would remove some of the market certainty clean energy businesses need to hire more workers. This would continue to tilt the playing field in the favor of a fossil fuel industry heavily supported by subsidies, potentially slowing momentum of clean energy job announcements in multiple sectors in upcoming quarters. The e wind industry offers a grim example of what happens to growing industries when Congress prematurely removes or fails to renew incentives. After the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) expired in 2012, industry group American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reported 32,000 industry jobs were lost the following year.1 Since the PTC expired at the end of last year, wind announcements once again are declining drastically: by Q3 2014, E2 has tracked just over 5,000 jobs — less than half as many as this time in 2012

Clean Jobs Florida 2014

More than 130,000 Floridians currently work at 14,000-plus clean energy businesses spread almost equally across the state, according to a first-of-its-kind Florida clean jobs census released today by the nonpartisan business groups Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy (FARE) and the Florida Chapter of the Energy Services Coalition. “Clean Jobs Florida: Sizing Up Florida’s Clean Energy Jobs Base and its Potential” shows that while clean energy is a significant employer in Florida, the state does not come close to living up to its potential.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q2 2014

More than 12,500 clean energy and clean transportation jobs and clean transportation were announced in 29 states in the second quarter of 2014. Arizona ranked first as the state with the greatest number of announced jobs this past quarter, followed by California, thanks to several announcements from the utility-scale solar industry. Michigan came in third followed by Utah, Massachusetts, New York, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and North Carolina.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q1 2014

Nearly 5,600 clean energy and clean transportation jobs were announced throughout the U.S. in the first quarter of 2014. This is a significant decline from the previous two quarters. The decline stems in part from the expiration of federal tax credits critical to leveling the playing field for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, like wind, solar, and energy efficient lighting, continuing attacks on state clean energy policies, and low natural gas prices. Because of ongoing regulatory uncertainty and other energy sector trends, businesses held back investments that would likely have led to more hiring in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors.

Clean Jobs Illinois 2014

Clean Energy Trust, in partnership with other organizations including E2, presents a report based on a survey of Illinois clean energy firms, seeking to better understand employment in the sector.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q4 2013 and Year-in-Review

More than 78,600 clean energy and clean transportation jobs were announced in 2013 at 260 projects tracked by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

Solar power generation was the year’s top sector with more than 21,600 jobs announced.1 Other strong sectors included building efficiency (12,500) and public transportation (11,400). Job announcements were made in 46 states, with California’s roughly 15,400 jobs topping the list. California was followed by Texas, Hawaii, Maryland and Massachusetts.

This is the second full year E2 has tracked clean energy and clean transportation job announcements. Over the past two years combined, E2 has tracked announcements that could create more than 186,500 jobs.

Last year’s job announcements were about 30 percent lower than 2012. While this is in part due to our job tracking methodology,2 clean energy job growth also faced economic headwinds in 2013. These headwinds came from the continued low cost and volatility of natural gas as well as market uncertainty due to attempts by renewable energy opponents to roll back favorable policies at both the federal level and in numerous states. For example, fossil fuel industry supporters attempted to roll back renewable energy standards in states such as North Carolina, Kansas and elsewhere, while at the federal level, the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) and numerous energy efficiency tax incentives were left to expire at the end of 2013.

Looking at the fourth quarter alone, E2 tracked more than 70 projects nationwide that could create 13,000 jobs. Spikes in wind manufacturing and solar manufacturing added to the quarterly total, as did announcements from Southwestern states, responsible for nearly 40 percent of the jobs announced during the final three months of the year. The top five states for clean energy job announcements in the October-December period were: Texas (about 3,300 jobs), Arizona, New York, California and Iowa.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q3 2013

Renewable power generation led the way in the quarter. More than 6,700 renewable power generation jobs were announced, which included jobs producing renewable energy from sources like solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal. About 3,300 jobs were announced in the manufacturing sector, with advanced vehicle manufacturing and wind manufacturing the lead industries.

While this quarter’s total jobs numbers were higher than the third quarter last year, some of the difference may be attributed to E2 tracking recycling announcements for the first time. Fourteen projects potentially creating 1,300 jobs were tracked in this sector. The largest announcement came from Encore Recycling in California, which expects to create 500 jobs at a facility that can process 100 million pounds of plastic per year, much of it sourced from agricultural companies like Dole and Driscoll.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q2 2013

More than 38,600 clean energy and clean transportation jobs connected to at least 58 projects were announced in the second quarter of this year. That was slightly higher than the 37,400 clean energy jobs that E2 tracked in the comparable quarter a year ago.

Power-generation projects from solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable energy sources will create more than 13,300 jobs if the announcements made hold true—more jobs than any other sector tracked by E2 this quarter.

About 9,600 public transportation jobs were announced, while major smart grid and electricity-transmission upgrade projects are projected to create more than 8,200 additional jobs. Energy efficiency also posted strong numbers with more than 5,700 jobs announced (see table 2). P

olices such as President Obama’s climate change initiative, announced in June of this year, along with the recent extension of renewable energy standards in some states, promise to keep the momentum going.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q1 2013

In the first quarter of 2013, E2 tracked more than 50 project announcements that could potentially lead to more than 12,000 clean energy and clean transportation jobs. Announcements were made in more than 20 states in communities ranging from Charlotte, North Carolina, to California’s Central Valley. These job announcements came in sectors as diverse as agriculture, manufacturing, and power generation.

The growth in clean energy and clean transportation jobs is reflective of what Americans say they want: A Gallup poll released in the first quarter of 2013 showed that more than 70 percent of Americans want more emphasis on clean technologies, including solar and wind power.

In many states, project announcements came despite concerted, politically motivated efforts to repeal renewable energy portfolio standards, which require utilities to get a portion of their energy from clean, renewable sources. E2’s findings indicate that portfolio standards work: Nine of the top 10 states that led the country in clean energy and clean transportation job announcements in the first quarter have renewable portfolio standards.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q4 2012 and Year-in-Review

Since September 2011, Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) has documented the growth of the clean energy sector in its monthly Clean Energy Jobs newsletters. Based on announcements detailing new hiring by companies, cities, and organizations, E2’s reports show that clean energy and clean transportation are helping drive innovation and job creation in America. You can find each monthly report at www.e2.org/cleanjobs.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q3 2012

Announcements from the third quarter of 2012. The economy continued to add clean energy jobs in the third quarter, but at a lower overall rate than from past quarters. Inaction by Congress and uncertainty in Washington is contributing to a decline across the wind, solar, transportation and other clean energy sectors.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q2 2012

Clean energy continues to contribute to the U.S. economy, breathing new life into domestic manufacturing and providing high quality jobs for workers around the country. Since September 2011, Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), whose members represent a broad crosssection of business leaders, has been documenting our nation’s growth in this sector in our bi-weekly newsletter Clean Energy Jobs News. Since our first newsletter, E2 has compiled nearly 450 separate announcements of new hiring opportunities by companies, cities, and organizations, showing that America leads the way in energy innovation and creating new jobs.