RALEIGH, NC (Nov. 13, 2025) – Clean energy jobs grew more than six times faster in North Carolina than the rest of the state’s economy in 2024, raising the total number of clean energy workers in the state to more than 113,000, according to the seventh annual Clean Jobs North Carolina report released today by the national, nonpartisan business group E2 and its partners at North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA), Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association (CCEBA), Center for Energy Education, and the Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas.
In fact, North Carolina added 3,254 clean energy jobs last year – which ranks eighth in the United States, above Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Colorado.
“These numbers demonstrate that clean energy continued to be a workhorse for workforce growth in North Carolina in 2024, far outpacing the state’s economy as a whole on job creation,” said Zach Amittay, E2’s Southeast Advocate. “It’s an economic imperative that policymakers recognize this and take action to support the continued growth of clean energy jobs. Unfortunately, we’re seeing the opposite from too many of our state and federal government leaders.”
Jobs in energy efficiency, renewable generation, storage and grid, and other clean energy subsectors continued to grow faster than the broader economy, accounting for an increasingly large share of the state’s workforce. Energy efficiency accounts for over 70 percent of North Carolina’s clean energy jobs, supporting 80,817 jobs in 2024.
However, clean vehicles-related jobs saw a slight dip in 2024, losing 234 jobs after hitting a record high of 9,522 workers at the end of 2023. Clean vehicles-related jobs took a similar hit across the country, as did jobs related to internal combustion engine vehicles.
“North Carolina’s deep bench of skilled workers is one of the things that keeps solar and storage a low-cost source of electricity,” said Chris Carmody, Executive Director of the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association.
Though not reflected in the 2024 data, recent policy actions by Congress and the Trump administration—to kill projects, revoke tax credits, cancel permits and add new regulatory red tape—have already caused major job losses in the clean energy industry, with more expected to come. According to separate E2 research, since January 2025 companies canceled $1.4 billion in planned clean energy related factories and other projects in North Carolina that were expected to create over 1,000 new jobs.
“Clean energy jobs in North Carolina are more than careers—they’re catalysts for thriving communities,” said Jen Weiss, Co-Director at the Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas. “By embracing clean energy, we’re creating local wealth, strengthening neighborhoods, and building a future where prosperity is shared by all.”
As clean energy companies and investors are reeling from federal decisions to slash clean energy support, the sector’s importance to the region’s overall economy is clearer than ever. Clean energy now accounts for nearly half of all energy and vehicle-related jobs in the state, and over 2 percent of all jobs. Industry-wide, nearly 67 percent of the sector’s jobs (over 75,500 jobs) are in construction or professional services.
“Renewable energy projects offer significant economic mobility and workforce development opportunities to our communities across the state,” said Mozine Lowe, Center for Energy Education’s Executive Director. “Education and sound strategies inform real-world perspectives that facilitate and promote conversation, collaboration and action plans, highlighting opportunities for us to grow and thrive in our environmental path toward a zero-carbon future.”
Mecklenburg County is home to more than 19,700 clean energy workers, tops in North Carolina.
| County | Total Clean Energy Jobs in 2024 |
| Mecklenburg | 19.732 |
| Wake | 17,697 |
| Guilford | 6,317 |
| Durham | 5,326 |
| Buncombe | 4,073 |
| Forsyth | 3,478 |
A note on demographics: Veterans made up nearly 10.8 percent of the clean energy workforce for North Carolina in 2024.
For more information, data requests, or to speak with clean energy business leaders in your area, contact Daniel Baker ([email protected]; 202-836-9390).
Methodology
This analysis of U.S. clean energy employment is based on employment data collected and analyzed by the BW Research Partnership for the 2025 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER). The USEER analyzes data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) to track employment across many energy production, transmission and distribution subsectors. In addition, the 2025 USEER relies on a unique supplemental survey of 42,800 business representatives across the United States. Created and conducted by BW Research, the methodology has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This survey is used to identify energy-related employment within key subsectors of the broader industries as classified by the BLS and to assign them into their component energy and energy efficiency sectors.
A full methodology on the sectors and types of jobs this analysis includes and does not include is available in E2’s Clean Jobs America report here.
Other Resources
- Clean Economy Works | Monthly Tracking: More details plus an interactive map of each of these projects shows what’s trending in America’s booming clean economy.
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E2 is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and managed more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on X/Twitter at @e2org and Bluesky at @e2.org.
The Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association (CCEBA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that expands market opportunities for North and South Carolina’s clean energy industry. CCEBA represents businesses throughout the clean energy sector, including independent power producers/developers; supply chain manufacturing, engineering, and construction; financial and legal services; and commercial clean energy purchasers.
The Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas (formerly the North Carolina Clean Energy Fund) is a nonprofit, financial institution accelerating clean energy investments across North and South Carolina. Through affordable financing and regional partnerships, the Clean Energy Fund helps homeowners, small businesses and community organizations make energy upgrades that lower costs, improve comfort and strengthen community resilience. Its mission is to provide innovative capital solutions to expand clean energy access for communities across the Carolinas and it is committed to empowering communities across North and South Carolina to take control of their energy future.
The Center for Energy Education (C4EE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a center for renewable energy research, industry innovation, and workforce development, which combine to demonstrate excellence in renewable energy as well as create economic growth.