Clean Jobs California 2020

Date: June 25, 2020

America’s Clean Energy Powerhouse in the Wake of COVID-19

After a fifth straight year of job growth since E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) began tracking U.S. clean energy employment, California’s clean energy economy is facing a torrent of job losses and work freezes so significant it could set the industry back years. What had been one of the nation’s fastest-growing job sectors over the last five years is now one of the fastest-shrinking in the wake of COVID-19-related shutdowns disrupting supply chains and building energy efficiency projects, halting new developments and emptying project pipelines, and slowing investments while wrecking financial outlooks.

Entering 2020, California’s clean energy economy had grown for five straight years since this annual report was first released with clean energy jobs growing to make up 3 percent of the state’s entire workforce.

E2’s Clean Jobs California 2020 details the sheer size of this important employment sector, the troubles it is currently facing due to COVID-19 and how focusing recovery policies on clean energy can get the Golden State’s economy humming again—quickly and for the long run.

INDUSTRY JOB TOPLINES | Q4 2019

  • Energy Efficiency – 323,529 jobs
  • Renewable Energy –142,957 jobs
    • Solar Energy – 124,817 jobs
    • Wind Energy – 2,520 jobs
  • Clean Vehicles – 40,627 jobs
  • Clean Storage – 17,397 jobs
  • Grid Modernization – 6,625 jobs
  • ALL Clean Energy Sectors – 536,919 jobs

DOWNLOAD

The complete report is available for download at this link.

Looking for More Info?

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 California 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.

PAST CLEAN JOBS AMERICA REPORTS

Clean Jobs America 2020 is the 3rd clean energy jobs report for California from E2. Previous reports can be accessed in the below links.

View Report »

106,000 Jobs in Clean Energy Lost in March Due to COVID-19 Economic Crisis

More than a year’s worth of job gains erased in a few weeks Analysis forecasts industry could lose more than 500K jobs in months ahead CA, NC, PA, MA, MI, NY, OH, TX, WA, IL among hardest hit states More than 106,000 clean energy workers lost their jobs in the month of March, and hundreds of thousands […]

Here’s The Next Step to Repowering America’s Economy, Post-Coronavirus

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Bob Keefe

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 […]

E2: Congress must now turn to clean energy to repower U.S. economy

Reaction from U.S. clean energy business execs and E2 WASHINGTON, DC (March 25, 2020) – Today, congressional leadership announced a $2 trillion economic stimulus package as part of its response to the COVID-19 crisis. Following is a statement from Bob Keefe, executive director of the national, nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs): “Congress threw a […]

E2 Urges Congress: Protect Clean Energy Workers, Businesses in Stimulus

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 […]

$20,000 Awarded to 10 Emerging Clean Energy Leaders Across U.S.

2020 Fellows represent 8 states across 5 regions SAN FRANCISCO – National business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) and sustainability-driven hotel brand 1 Hotels announced today the 2020 1 Hotels Fellowship class at E2. This is the third-year of the annual fellowship, which awards ten young U.S. business leaders $20,000 each to execute projects that advance […]

NYC Climate Week Event: Making NY An Offshore Wind Jobs Hub

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Clean Jobs Colorado 2019

Date: September 12, 2019

Colorado’s Clean Energy Potential Reaches New Heights

Colorado is leading the Mountain West’s clean energy economy.

With nearly 60,000 clean energy workers now, the state’s potential reached new heights in 2018 with strong employment growth across cleantech sectors (4.8%)—far outpacing overall national (1.5%) and statewide (2.4%) job growth.

According to Clean Jobs Colorado 2019 (downloadable PDF) report, Colorado’s is now among the top 10 states for jobs in three sectors: wind energy (3rd), bioenergy (9th), and overall renewable energy (6th). The state fell just outside the Top 10 in solar energy (11th). However, the majority of Colorado’s clean energy job growth came from energy efficiency and clean vehicles, which grew 7.2% and 22.5%respectively.

Analyzing the state geographically,the employment analysis found that while Denver and Boulder accounted for nearly one out of every three clean jobs in the state, about 20 percent (29,000) are in areas outside the Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins metro areas. Additionally, all 64 counties in the state are home to clean energy workers, with 11 counties supporting at least 1,100. Denver led all counties with more than 13,200 jobs, followed by Arapahoe (7,600) and Jefferson (5,800) counties. By density, Jackson, Denver, and Boulder counties led the state in clean jobs per 1,000 employable residents. All 64 counties in Colorado are home to clean energy workers, with 11 counties supporting over 1,000 jobs.

Smart policies such as the Zero-Emission Vehicle standards adopted by Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission in August and Gov. Polis’ roadmap to 100% renewable energy will help ensure that Colorado’s clean energy economy keeps growing. And businesses have noticed, with Colorado clean energy employers predicting they’ll add jobs more than twice as fast in 2019 (10.3%) as 2018.

Colorado Job Sector Toplines

  • Energy Efficiency – 34,342 jobs
  • Renewable Energy – 17,073 jobs
  • Solar Energy – 7,775 jobs
  • Wind Energy – 7,318 jobs
  • Clean Vehicles – 3,323 jobs
  • Biofuels – 2,045 jobs
  • Energy Storage – 1,692 jobs
  • Grid Modernization – 1,272 jobs
  • ALL Clean Energy Sectors – 59,666 jobs

Other Highlights from 2018

  • Clean energy jobs also now employ 26,000 more workers than the state’s entire fossil fuel industry (10,022)
  • 8,100 workers Coloradans located in rural areas work in clean energy
  • 64% of clean energy workers are employed by businesses with fewer than 20 total employees
  • Colorado clean energy employers are projecting 10.3% employment growth for 2019.
  • Construction (37.6%) and professional services (40.7%) make up the majority of clean energy jobs.
  • 9.6% of Coloradans employed in clean energy are veterans
  • Denver led all counties in Colorado with 13,200 jobs, followed by Arapahoe (7,600) and Jefferson (5,868) counties

Looking for More Info?

This report follows E2’s Clean Jobs America analysis which found the clean energy jobs account for nearly 3.3 million jobs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Both reports expand on data from the 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. E2 is a partner on the USEER, the fourth installment of the energy survey first released by the Department of Energy in 2016. 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 Colorado 2019 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.

DOWNLOAD

The complete report is available for download at this link.

OTHER CLEAN JOBS REPORTS

Clean Jobs North Carolina is only one in a series of state and industry reports produced by E2 and our partners.

View Report »

Support Clean Energy Tax Extenders

The best chance to move on climate policy now comes in the form of tax extenders. These clean energy extenders are incentives that habitually expire and have to be renewed – or ‘extended’ – by Congress, usually on an annual basis. With increased interest around providing market certainty to a suite of  clean energy technologies […]

Clean Jobs California 2019

Date: August 20, 2019

America’s Clean Energy Economy Juggernaut

With nation-leading public policies like the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Renewables Portfolio Standard, California, with its more than half a million workers across clean energy industries, remains far and away the nation’s shining example of clean economic prosperity. Across all states, California supports one out of every seven U.S. clean energy jobs, four out of every ten U.S. solar energy jobs,  and one more than one out of every four U.S. renewable generation jobs. In fact, California’s is home to more renewable generation jobs than the next top six states combined and twice as many energy efficiency jobs as the no. 2 state (Texas).

While the solar energy industry remains the standard bearer of clean energy employment and historical growth in California, other industries are making significant headway; notably, California’s clean vehicle industry saw a 22 percent increase in employment in 2018. In 2019, California is expected to once again drive the nation’s clean economic growth with state employers projecting nearly a 10 percent increase in jobs across renewable generation, energy efficiency, clean vehicles, grid services, energy storage, and more.

Combined with this market domination, big opportunities remain as the world’s fifth-largest economy takes aim at meeting its ambitious carbon reduction targets.

A BIGGER PICTURE

This report focuses solely on the energy sector of the economy and does not include jobs in retail trade, repair services, water or waste management, and indirect employment or induced employment.

California Job Sector Toplines

  • Energy Efficiency – 318,542 jobs
  • Renewable Energy – 143,728 jobs
  • Solar Energy – 126,507 jobs
  • Clean Vehicles – 22,389 jobs
  • Energy Storage – 16,633 jobs
  • Bioenergy/CHP – 7,212 jobs
  • Grid Modernization – 6,166 jobs
  • Wind Energy – 5,785 jobs
  • Clean Fuels – 5,477 jobs
  • ALL Clean Energy Sectors – 512,934 jobs

Highlights

According to Clean Jobs California:

  • Clean energy employs five times more Californians than all fossil fuels combined (110,000)
  • More than 57% of California clean energy workers are employed by businesses with fewer than 20 employees
  • If included in E2’s state rankings, Los Angeles and San Francisco metro areas would rank no. 5 and no. 10 respectively. If combined, the two metros would be the no. 2 state for clean energy jobs in the U.S.
  • Clean vehicle technologies is the only industry California does not rank first in for jobs, trailing Michigan by fewer than 3,000 jobs
  • Nearly four out of every ten U.S. solar jobs are in California
  • Californian clean energy employers project nearly 10% growth in jobs in 2019
  • Bioenergy and combined heat and power made up the second most renewable generation jobs (7,212), followed by wind (5,785)
  • Construction (50.7%) accounts for half of California’s clean energy jobs.
  • 22,800 Californians now work in grid modernization (6,166) and energy storage (16,633)
  • 9.7 % of Californians employed in clean energy are veterans – far above the national average (6%)

DOWNLOAD

The complete report is available for download at this link.

Looking For More Info?

District-By-District Economic Impact

For details on clean energy’s overall economic impact in California, visit E2’s District-By-District: Clean Jobs California 2019  report page to download 120 individual factsheets for all 120 state legislative districts. The factsheets detail the investments in clean energy, jobs created, emissions, reduced, and cap and trade funds implemented in each district.

U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USEER)

This report follows E2’s Clean Jobs America analysis which found the clean energy jobs account for nearly 3.3 million jobs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Both reports expand on data from the 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. E2 is a partner on the USEER, the fourth installment of the energy survey first released by the Department of Energy in 2016. 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 California 2019 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.

Other E2 Clean Jobs Reports

Clean Jobs California is only one in a series of state and industry reports produced by E2 and our partners.

View Report »

E2 Nevada Meet & Greet

Please join national nonpartisan business group, E2, and your fellow Las Vegas area business leaders for an invitation-only gathering and networking event to learn more about E2 and how Nevada’s updated renewable energy policy and other new legislation are poised to create jobs, drive economic growth and bring new clean energy investments to the Silver State. This […]

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