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