FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACTS: Alex Frank, 703-276-3255, [email protected]; Sharon Pillar, 412-215-5995, [email protected].
PITTSBURGH (August 31, 2017) – Nearly 70,000 people work in Pennsylvania’s clean energy sector, according to the 2017 Clean Jobs Pennsylvania report unveiled today by the national, nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) and local partner Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA).
The report – available here and at www.e2.org/cleanjobspa – comes a few days before Pennsylvanians celebrate Labor Day weekend. It shows a nearly 6-percent growth rate in clean energy jobs over the previous year’s report, far outpacing the state’s general employment growth rate. Once again, clean energy jobs far outpace fossil fuel jobs in the state (by about two-to-one this year), while energy efficiency remains the dominant sector with about 55,000 jobs.
“Clean energy isn’t a niche industry anymore, it’s a viable addition to our diverse energy portfolio,” said State Sen. Mario Scavello (R-40), whose district in the Poconos is home to about 900 clean energy jobs. “We have the best fabrication, engineering, manufacturing and distribution networks in the country. The clean energy sector offers communities – both rural and urban – the opportunity to retool, reposition and modernize our economy to attract 21st-century jobs. We’ve had a great start, and in my district we have gone from 775 clean energy jobs last year to 900 jobs this year. We must continue this momentum.”
The report highlights several state and federal policies important to continued clean energy job growth, including:
- Increasing Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) so the state can diversify its energy supply and stay competitive in the country’s booming renewable energy industry;
- Defending the state’s energy efficiency law (Act 129) from attacks while also further strengthening it; and
- Blocking unpopular and innovation-crushing cuts to the U.S. Department of Energy that could halt programs like the energy efficiency work being done at Pittsburgh’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.
“Pennsylvania’s energy efficiency industry plays an increasingly crucial role in our state’s evolving energy economy,” said Matt Elliott, KEEA’s executive director. “When lawmakers strengthen clean energy policies, more residents and businesses save energy and save money, and more Pennsylvanians can get to work in this growing industry.”
The report shows there are clean energy jobs in every state legislative and congressional district in Pennsylvania, offering the latest evidence that clean energy is a bipartisan issue that benefits both urban and rural Pennsylvanians. The report also ranks the top 10 counties (including ties) and top 5 metro areas for clean energy jobs:
Social media graphics are available here: overall, growth rate, yearly data and energy efficiency.
The report includes case studies of energy efficiency companies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Members of the media are invited to a live, in-person availability of E2 representatives, Pennsylvania clean energy business leaders and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald at a Pittsburgh event at Huckestein Mechanical Services Inc., 1505 Metropolitan Street, on Pittsburgh’s North Side, on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 10:30 a.m.
“As we all celebrate Labor Day this weekend, we should remember that more clean energy means more jobs,” said Sharon Pillar, E2’s Pittsburgh-based consultant.
To speak with E2 members and other clean energy business leaders in Pennsylvania, please contact Alex Frank at 703-276-3255 or [email protected].
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Environmental Entrepreneurs (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 manage more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on Twitter at @e2org.
The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(6) corporation dedicated to promoting the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries in Pennsylvania. In 2006, KEEA was founded in response to the pending expiration of utility rate caps in Pennsylvania and the state’s lack of energy efficiency policies. With over 50 business members as well as nonprofit and trade association partners, KEEA advocates on behalf of clean energy on the local, state, and federal levels. By representing the interests of the clean energy industry in Pennsylvania, KEEA is growing the market for energy efficiency and helping the Keystone State secure a prosperous, sustainable tomorrow.