Archives

Clean Jobs North Carolina 2019

Top 10 in Jobs Across Clean Technologies

North Carolina is the Southeast’s leader in clean energy jobs. Not only does the Tar Heel state rank among the top 10 states in the country across clean energy categories such as solar energy, energy efficiency, and overall clean energy.

According to Clean Jobs North Carolina 2019 (downloadable PDF), the state’s clean energy jobs grew 3.5 percent last year – nearly double statewide employment growth (1.9%) —and now account for more than half of North Carolina’s entire energy sector workforce (212,172).  Clean vehicles led all sectors in growth, adding more than 1,000 jobs for a 19.5% growth rate.

Along with being a national pioneer in solar energy as the No 2. state for installed solar and No. 9 for jobs, North Carolina is fast becoming a powerhouse in energy efficiency as well with over 86,000 jobs – employing more workers in energy efficiency alone than 39 states do in all clean energy sectors.

All 100 counties in North Carolina—from Cherokee to Currituck—are home to residents who work in clean energy jobs, and 26 counties are home to at least 900 jobs. And while the metropolitan areas of Charlotte and Raleigh combine to make up the largest portion of the state’s clean jobs (37,700), its rural areas account for 25 percent of all the state’s jobs in renewable energy, efficiency, storage, and clean vehicles and fuels (29,000).

North Carolina Job Sector Toplines

• Energy Efficiency – 86,559 jobs
• Renewable Energy – 12,091 jobs
• Solar Energy – 8,912 jobs
• Clean Vehicles – 7,280 jobs
• Grid Modernization – 2,124 jobs
• Energy Storage – 1,692 jobs
• Wind Energy – 908 jobs
• ALL Clean Energy Sectors – 110,913 jobs

Other Highlights from 2018

• Clean energy jobs also now employ more than ten times more workers than the state’s entire fossil fuel industry (10,022)
• 80% of clean energy employers reported it was “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult” hiring qualified workers
• More than 4 out of every 5 clean energy workers are employed by businesses with fewer than 20 employees
• Construction (44.3%) and manufacturing (16.8%) make up the majority of clean energy jobs
• 3,468 North Carolinians now work in grid modernization (2,124) and energy storage (1,344)
• 11.4% of North Carolinians employed in clean energy are veterans – nearly double the percentage of veterans in the overall national workplace (6%)
• 11 of North Carolina’s congressional districts are home to at least 5,000 clean jobs
• 40 of the state’s 50 senate districts along with 39 house districts had over 1,000 clean energy jobs.
• 26 of North Carolina’s 100 counties employ at least 900 clean energy workers
• Mecklenburg led all counties in North Carolina with 20,142 jobs, followed by Wake (17,491) and Guilford (6,318) 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 North Carolina 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.

• Clean Jobs America 2019 | Nearly 3.3 Million Clean Energy Jobs
• Clean Jobs Midwest 2019 |Region added more than 28,000 clean energy jobs in 2018
• Clean Jobs Nevada 2019 | 32,211 Clean Energy Jobs Across Nevada
• Clean Jobs Massachusetts 2019 | 117,669 Clean Energy Jobs Across Massachusetts
• Clean Jobs New York 2019 | 148,453 Clean Energy Jobs Across Empire State
• Clean Jobs Pennsylvania 2019 | 90,772 Clean Energy Jobs Across the Keystone State
• Clean Jobs New Jersey 2019 |51,852 Clean Energy Jobs Across New Jersey
• Energy Efficiency Jobs in America 2018 | 2.25 Million Americans Work in Energy Efficiency
• Clean Jobs Cities 2018 | America’s Top Cities for Clean Energy Jobs
• Clean Jobs California 2018 | Over 500K Californians Working in Clean Energy
• Clean Jobs Oregon 2018 |  55,179 Clean Energy Jobs Across Oregon
• Clean Jobs Washington 2018 | 82,859 clean energy jobs across Washington State
• Clean Jobs Colorado 2018 | 57,591 Clean Energy Jobs Across Colorado

The Green New Deal: What Will It Take to Create a Clean Energy Economy That Works for Everyone?

Against a grim 12-year deadline to stave off the worst effects of climate change, the Green New Deal has emerged as a long-awaited solution to some, an example of government overreach to others, and as a lightning rod of attention to all. Among its many components, the resolution offers a vision for an equitable transition […]

New Report Shows New Jersey in Top 10 States for Renewable Energy Jobs

 State is Poised to Reclaim Leadership in Clean Energy Trenton, N.J. (May 23, 2019) – A new report shows that clean energy jobs are now a major part of New Jersey’s economy and that the state is well positioned to reclaim its role as a national leader in clean energy. The report by the national, […]

Reaffirmation of Paris Agreement Can Restore US Leadership

WASHINGTON (March 27, 2019) – Today,  HR 9 — the Climate Action Now Act — was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would reaffirm the U.S.’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. The following is a statement from Bob Keefe, executive director of the national, nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs), which took […]

E2: Cap-and-Invest an Opportunity for Oregon Economy, Workers, Businesses

Statement from E2 Western States Advocate Andy Wunder SALEM, OR (February 1, 2019) – Yesterday draft language for the long-awaited Clean Energy Jobs Bill was released.  If passed, the legislation would create a Cap-and-Invest program that would place an economy-wide limit on greenhouse gas emissions, create a market-based program to drive least-cost emission reductions, and […]

Southern California Building Decarbonization Event

Building Decarbonization California’s Climate Change Mitigation FrontierWithCalifornia State Senator, Henry Stern City of Los Angeles Chief Sustainability Officer, Lauren Faber O’Connor City of Santa Monica Chief Sustainability Officer, Dean Kubani NRDC Senior Scientist, Pierre Delforge WHEN Monday, December 10, 2018 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, with program beginning at 6:30PM WHERE TIATO 2700 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404 […]

Tell Congress: Bring Climate Leadership in 2019

The Trump administration tried to bury the latest volume of the National Climate Assessment by releasing it the day after Thanksgiving. The attempted burial failed. The New York Times and Washington Post – but also the Houston Chronicle and St. Louis Times-Dispatch, along with many other publications – covered the report. They covered the report because of the dire warnings around economic and environmental damage […]

Offshore Wind: Generating Economic Benefits on the East Coast

REPORT

The U.S. offshore wind industry is poised for substantial growth, thanks to falling costs and increasing recognition by state and federal policy makers that there are tremendous economic benefits in harnessing clean, renewable energy offshore. BW Research, on behalf of E2, found that if each of the five states below added an average-sized offshore wind energy farm (352 MW) nearly 25,000 construction and operational jobs would be created up and down the eastern seaboard. The Department of Interior is developing lease sales for a strong pipeline of projects in this region—28 in total—which could equal 23,735 MW of new generating capacity, which if all developed would result in tens of thousands of more jobs and added economic benefits for those states. Through its expected growth over the next several years, offshore wind energy has the potential to significantly add to the Gross Regional Product (GRP) and state and federal tax revenues of South and North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York.

OFFSHORE WIND ECONOMIC POTENTIAL:

• If New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina added an average-sized offshore wind energy farm (352 MW), nearly 25,000 jobs and $3.6 billion would be added to the states’ economies.
  • South Carolina – 5,647 jobs and $878 million economic benefits
  • North Carolina – 5,522 jobs and $710 million economic benefits
  • Virginia – 4,377 jobs and $641 million economic benefits
  • New Jersey – 4,313 jobs and $702 million economic benefits
  • New York – 4,063 jobs and $737 million economic benefits

OFFSHORE DRILLING’S ECONOMIC RISK

• A one-month beach and fishing closure due to an oil spill off the coasts of New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina would cost over $2.7 billion in GDP and $1.3 billion in lost wages.
  • South Carolina – $117 million in lost wages and $314 million in GDP
  • North Carolina – $57 million in lost wages and $120 million in GDP
  • Virginia – $90 million in lost wages and $175 million in GDP
  • New Jersey – $163 million in lost wages and $307 million in GDP
  • New York – $870 million in lost wages and $1.8 billion in GDP

LOOKING FOR MORE INFO?

If you are looking for additional insight into E2’s Offshore  Wind report, including specific info about a state or to connect with business leaders on the East Coast who support increased offshore wind development and policies that grow clean energy jobs, contact E2 Communications Director Michael Timberlake ([email protected]).

The complete report is available here.

The 3 Rs of Electricity: Reliability, Resilience, & Renewables (Boston, MA)

The days of large coal, nuclear, and gas-fired power plants are waning. More than 100 cities, from Seattle to Nairobi, now receive at least 70 percent of their electricity from renewable energy. One of the leading drivers of this energy revolution is the need for greater resilience. A major part of the answer? Installation of […]

Oregon: Changing Climate, Economic Impacts, & Policies for Our Future

“Oregon: Changing Climate, Economic Impacts, and Policies for our Future” is a first-of-its-kind resource for businesses, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. In addition to examining the economic threat climate change poses to Oregon, the report highlights the economic benefits and job opportunities that can be created by deploying more clean energy.

The Economic Benefits of Military Biofuels

The military’s plans to expand its use of biofuels in planes, ships and other vehicles would generate at least about $10 billion in economic activity and create more than 14,000 jobs by 2020. A synopsis can be found here.