A new analysis by the Clean Energy trust shows the number of people now working in clean energy industries throughout the Midwest is nearly 600,000 or a 5 percent increase since 2015.
Oklahoma was not included in the 12 states considered to be the Midwest. But the job growth was seen in renewable energy generation, advanced grid, energy efficiency, clean fuels and advanced transportation.
Working with the nonpartisan business group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), the analysis put the total at 599,775 employees.
It determined Illinois was the number one in creation and addition of clean jobs while Indian was 2nd following by Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
The new report maintained that the Midwest’s clean energy workforce is more than two times as large as all the computer programmers in the region.
“The Midwest has witnessed declining manufacturing employment over the years and this report highlights the important role of clean energy jobs in filling the gap for the region’s workforce,” said Erik G. Birkerts, CEO of Clean Energy Trust. “We’re optimistic that this growth engine can continue unabated as the Midwest continues to prove it is a fertile region for clean energy innovation, enabling businesses to launch, grow and create jobs.”
“States are leading the clean energy revolution in America,” said Bob Keefe, E2’s Executive Director. “The Midwest has quickly become a clean energy job hub, with every state seeing job growth. This is the result of pioneering businesses aided in part by smart state and federal policies. We need more policymakers to incent clean energy development to ensure America doesn’t fall behind global competitors.”
The biggest job growth occurred in the renewable energy sector. Jobs in wind, solar, geothermal, bioenergy, and low-impact hydroelectric power grew by more than 15-percent in the past year.
The report also found:
- 1 in 10 clean energy workers are employed in the advanced transportation industry. This includes hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, alternative fuels vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles.
- In the Midwest, 44% of all clean energy jobs were in construction–264,155 jobs. Manufacturing accounted for 164,164 more jobs–over 27% of all clean energy jobs.
- The clean fuels and advanced grid sectors employ 7,077 and 4,184 Midwestern workers respectively.
2016 Department of Energy data shows that there are more than 3 million clean energy workers across the country. For a fact sheet outlining more specifics about the national clean energy jobs landscape, view E2’s fact sheet.