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Clean Jobs Tennessee 2015

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.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q1 2015

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.

Winds of Change: The Economic Impact of Colorado’s Wind Industry — And How to Keep it Growing

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

Clean Jobs Ohio 2015

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.

Clean Jobs Missouri 2015

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.

Clean Jobs Quarterly | Q4 2014 and Year-in-Review

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.

Clean Jobs Pennsylvania 2014

More than 57,000 Pennsylvanians currently work at 4,200 clean energy businesses statewide, according to a first-of-its-kind clean energy jobs report released in 2014 by nonpartisan business groups Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) and Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

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.