“Lawmakers simply cannot ignore the millions of electricians, technicians and factory workers who work in clean energy as they consider ongoing economic recovery efforts,” said Keefe. “Imagine how quickly the White House would be moving if if about 50K coal workers and all those petroleum workers were suddenly out of a job”- @bkeefee2
More than 106,000 clean energy industry workers lost their jobs in March alone. A half-million clean energy workers could be jobless in the months ahead if Congress and state lawmakers don’t step up and do more to support what has become one our nation’s biggest employment sectors. Of course, many Americans are struggling. Nearly 22 million […]
Bob Keefe, E2’s executive director, said the groups hadn’t done an estimate of what new stimulus programs would cost. But “the price tag for not doing something is going to be humongous,” he said. “This economic tailspin is so massive and so unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, we really need some bold ideas and […]
Repowering America’s Economy in the Wake of COVID-19At the start of 2020, clean energy employment increased for the fifth straight year since this annual report was first released—growing beyond 3.3 million workers nationwide.
While California remained the nation’s undisputed leader in clean energy jobs through 2019, states as diverse in size and structure as Texas and Massachusetts also are in the top ten for clean energy jobs. Florida, North Carolina and Georgia continued to lead the South, while Michigan, Illinois and Ohio led the Midwest. On a per capita basis of statewide total employment, the Northeast claimed the top five spots with Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Delaware employing the largest share of clean energy jobs per capita in the country.
Overall, clean energy jobs across the country grew by slightly more than two percent in 2019, slower than its nearly four percent growth in 2018. Jobs in renewable energy grew more than three percent, led in part by a rebound in solar jobs. Clean energy storage and grid modernization jobs increased four percent—faster than any other sector—while clean vehicle employment declined by about two percent after a 17 percent jump in 2018. Energy efficiency remains the single biggest sector of the clean energy economy, growing over two percent in 2019 and adding the most net new jobs (54,000) across the entire energy sector.
As a result of the industry’s consistent growth, clean energy accounted for more than 40 percent of America’s entire energy workforce and over 2.25% of the nation’s overall employment at the end of 2019.
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 America 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 America 2020 is the 5th national clean energy jobs report from E2. Previous reports can be accessed in the below links.
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More than 106,000 clean energy workers lost their jobs in the month of March alone, wiping out all the job gains in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean vehicles and other clean energy sectors in 2019, according to an analysis of unemployment data by BW Research for E2.
The March layoffs were just the first indication of how badly the clean energy industry has been hit by the COVID-19 and economic crises. Much bigger job cuts are expected in the months ahead—making it imperative that Congress and state lawmakers seek ways to get the industry back on its feet, especially since clean energy has a proven history of helping pull the country out of economic crises.
What had been one the nation’s fastest-growing jobs sectors at the start of the year by March was experiencing significant job losses every week.
The job losses are across a wide variety of occupations, and in every state. Energy efficiency workers are losing their jobs after being shut out of homes and buildings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Solar and wind turbine companies are laying off workers as they’re unable to access panels and parts stranded in shut-down factories and as financing disappears. Factory workers are being let go as assembly lines for Energy Star appliances and electric and hybrid vehicles are ground to a halt.
The complete report is available for download at this link.
A live press conference was held announcing the report’s findings on April 15, featuring:
To download and listen to the one-hour press conference, click 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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“Bottom line, what we’re seeing and hearing is horrible,” said Bob Keefe, executive director of E2, a clean energy advocacy group. “We’re seeing work stoppages that are costing millions of dollars even for small companies. These people need help,” he added.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all corners of the economy, and clean energy and clean economy businesses are no exception. Please join E2 to learn more about the just-passed CARES economic stimulus package, what it means to businesses and their and workers, and what E2 is doing to make sure the next economic stimulus package and other […]
Bob Keefe, executive director of the national business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs), in a statement sent to POWER said, “Congress threw a critical lifeline to America’s workers that will help struggling families pay their bills and make badly needed loans available for businesses to stay afloat and protect jobs. Now attention must turn to repowering […]
“Some folks in Congress and in other parts of Washington, D.C. are suggesting this is a bunch of liberals angling for the Green New Deal, and these are coastal elites that just want to pad their investments in clean energy,” says Bob Keefe, executive director of Environmental Entrepreneurs, or E2, a nonpartisan group of business […]
The $2 trillion stimulus package announced Wednesday by congressional leadership will send badly needed emergency checks to struggling American families and make loans available for businesses to stay afloat and protect jobs. With Americans from every corner of our economy out of work and struggling, it’s a much-needed lifeline. Now, lawmakers must quickly turn their […]
The economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis is hurting businesses, workers and industries from coast to coast. Among the hard-hit sectors is the clean energy sector, which employs more than 3.4 million Americans and is essential to our nation’s transition to a clean economy. In addition to other critical needs, we urge congress to provide […]