Jobs in solar, wind and other clean energy industries grew three times faster than in the rest of the US workforce last year, according to a study published on Friday, warning many could go due to efforts by the administration of US President Donald Trump to block renewables.
The clean energy industry added 100,000 jobs in 2024, growing 2.8% to employ more than 3.5-million people, according to environmental advocacy group E2, which published an annual study of clean energy jobs for the past decade.
The states with the highest growth in clean energy jobs overall last year were Idaho, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and New Jersey.
More than 80% of all new energy sector jobs in 2024 were in clean energy, the study found.
“What the numbers show is that this was one of the hottest and most promising job sectors in the country at the end of 2024,” said E2 executive director Bob Keefe. “Now clean energy job growth is at serious risk, and with it our overall economy.”
The study analysed employment in industries including renewable electricity generation, biofuels, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, battery storage and grid modernisation.
The analysis does not account for changes in US policy since Trump took office. Since then, his administration has taken measures to unravel federal support for wind and solar projects that were championed by former President Joe Biden, and instead promoted fossil fuels.
The number of Americans employed in clean energy exceeds those employed by oil, gas and coal by three to one, E2 said.
The states with the most jobs in wind and solar include California, Texas, Florida, New York and Massachusetts, according to the report.
Energy efficiency jobs, which include installing efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems and manufacturing certified appliances, account for nearly 2.4-million of total sector employment.
Reuters
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