SOUTHERN STATES DRIVE JOB SURGE; 3.46 MILLION AMERICANS WORK IN CLEAN ENERGY
Summary:
Clean energy companies added almost 150,000 jobs in 2023, growing more than three times faster than overall U.S. employment to 3,460,406 clean energy jobs nationwide. Last year’s jobs spike corresponds with the first full year of historic clean energy investments and incentives under the landmark federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Only the post-pandemic recovery surge of 2021 (152,000 jobs) added more new jobs in a single year.
Every clean energy sector grew at least twice as fast as overall national employment. Clean vehicles saw double-digit growth for the third consecutive year. Energy efficiency continued to lead the clean economy in total jobs. Jobs in manufacturing and other services (including vehicle maintenance and repair) accounted for nearly 60 percent of all new clean energy jobs.
Over the past three years, clean energy jobs increased 14 percent to nearly 3.5 million workers. By comparison, that’s more jobs than there are nurses nationwide. The 149,170 new clean energy jobs created in 2023 accounted for 6.4 percent of all jobs created economywide, and nearly 60 percent of all jobs in the entire energy sector.
This growth sets the stage for the next several years as the industry begins to feel the full impact from historic investments and incentives in the IRA. Three hundred and forty major new clean energy projects have been announced across 40 states and Puerto Rico since the IRA passed. In those announcements, companies have said they are creating more than 109,000 new jobs while investing over $126 billion in private-sector capital.
Key Findings
RENEWABLE GENERATION: Renewable generation sectors added more than 25,000 jobs in 2023, led by solar (+18,400) and wind (+5,700). In all, almost 560,000 Americans now work in renewable generation— a 14 percent increase since 2020.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Energy efficiency remains the single-largest employer across the entire energy sector, employing nearly 2.3 million Americans. The sector accounted for half of all new clean energy jobs in 2023, adding nearly 75,000 workers (+3.4%).
STORAGE + GRID MODERNIZATION: The storage and grid modernization sector added over 7,000 jobs (+4.6%) and now supports nearly 160,000 workers—more than there are highway maintenance workers.5 Jobs making power grids more resilient and able to handle more wind and solar generation led the sector, growing 5 percent followed by battery and energy storage (+4.3%). Since 2020, the sector increased employment by 15 percent.
CLEAN VEHICLES: Clean vehicle makers continue to lead all sectors in growth, adding over 40,000 jobs (+11.0%). Electric vehicles (EVs) led the sector, adding over 17,000 jobs (+12.9%), followed closely by hybrid EVs with 15,900 jobs added (+10.5%). Over the past three years, clean vehicle jobs have jumped nearly 60 percent. The sector continued to outgrow the gas- and diesel-powered vehicle industry (+1.5%) and now employs over 410,000 workers.
BIOFUELS: The smallest clean energy sector, biofuels added over 1,200 jobs in 2023. Since 2020, the sector has increased employment by 12 percent to more than
2024 Clean Energy Employment Toplines
| Total Clean Energy | 3,460,406 |
| Renewable Energy | 559,971 |
| Grid & Storage | 158,423 |
| Energy Efficiency | 2,290,179 |
| Clean Fuels | 41,412 |
| Clean Vehicles | 410,420 |
Looking for More Info?
This is the ninth annual Clean Jobs America report produced by E2 based on analysis of the USEER, which was first released by the DOE in 2016. E2 was an original proponent of the DOE producing the USEER, and was a partner on 2018, 2019, and 2020 reports produced by the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) and National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) after the DOE chose not to produce them in 2017.
If you are looking for additional insight into E2’s Clean Jobs America 2024 or our other clean energy employment reports, visit e2.org/reports.
Previous Reports
Clean Jobs America 2023 is the 9th national clean energy jobs report from E2. Previous reports can be accessed in the below links.