Clean Energy Jobs Grew at Twice the Rate of US Jobs Overall Last Year

(Bloomberg) — Clean energy jobs grew last year at more than double the pace of jobs in the rest of the energy industry and in the US economy overall, buoyed by Biden administration policies to fight climate change.

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Employment in clean energy rose 142,000 from 2022, or 4.2%, compared to economy-wide job growth of 2%. Those jobs account for more than half of new jobs in the US energy industry, the Department of Energy said in a report Wednesday.

The electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors, as well as transmission, distribution and storage, experienced “significant” growth, according to the report. Solar and wind — which have faced challenges as high interest rates weighed on financing — saw jobs grow by 5.3% and 4.5% respectively.

For the first time, the annual US Energy and Employment Report tracked construction jobs related to clean energy manufacturing and supply chains. It identified 28,000 jobs devoted to constructing solar and battery factories, offshore wind ports, and warehouses for clean energy products.

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act helped spur a boom in EV and battery factories across the US, sparked major investments in renewable energy and incentivizes other approaches to lowering emissions, such as carbon capture and home energy efficiency.

Idaho led clean energy employment in 2023 with a 7.7% growth rate, followed by Texas (6%) and New Mexico (5.9%).

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