A U.S. Department of Energy report found energy job growth outpaced other employment last year.
The 205-page 2022 U.S. Energy and Employment Report found the nation's energy sector experienced positive job growth, up 4% by the end of last year, outpacing overall U.S. employment which showed 2.8% positive job grown over the same period, according to a June 28 news release.
"Amidst the unique challenges of a nation coming out of a global pandemic, America's energy sector stands out with considerable job growth across nearly all industries," Granholm said in the release. "DOE's USEER report shows that jobs critical to our clean energy transition are on the rise and poised for continued expansion thanks to the historic investments from the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."
The report covers electric power generation; motor vehicles; energy efficiency; transmission, distribution and storage; and fuels, according to the release. Sectors showing notable growth included electric and hybrid electric vehicle jobs, solar and wind energy jobs, energy efficiency jobs and transmission, distribution and storage jobs.
“The Department of Energy under the leadership of Secretary Granholm has worked tirelessly to advance pathways to the middle class that our unionized jobs create," North America's Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey said in the news release. "The three million men and women of North America’s Building Trades Unions who work every day to meet the energy demands of our country value the support of the Biden administration, and we will continue creating opportunities for underserved communities to join our ranks and growing our participation in a modern, sustainable and responsible energy industry."
The report found that overall energy jobs, about 7.5 million in 2020, increased to more than 7.8 million by the end of last year, the release reported. That increase came despite a steep decline in energy jobs during the pandemic's first year. A large chunk of those jobs, more than 3 million jobs or 40% of the total number of energy sector jobs, support reduction in U.S. emissions to zero.
"Clean energy creates good-paying jobs, stimulates our economy and protects our environment," U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said in the news release. "I've long pushed for consistent data collection to guide our policy on energy and workforce development. It's promising to see such impressive growth in the energy sector in 2021 – which has helped our recovery from the pandemic in New Hampshire and across the nation. I look forward to sharing this data in the Senate to better inform our energy policies. I'll keep working on bipartisan solutions that enhance clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives to build a more sustainable, resilient future."
The states which showed the greatest increase in energy sector jobs last year were Michigan with 35,500 new energy jobs, Texas with 30,900 new energy sector jobs and California with 29,400 new energy sector jobs, according to the release.
"Michigan's economy is on the move and thanks to our hardworking people and innovative businesses, we are now a top three state for clean energy vehicle job growth," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in the news release. "We will continue fostering clean energy vehicle job growth and finding ways to pursue our long-term carbon neutrality goals too by expanding clean energy production and making energy efficient home repairs, lowering costs for families and communities. The clean energy future is bright, and Michigan is proud to be leading the way."
"As a nation, it is crucial that we do all that we can to ensure that the growth of these sectors continues and that the jobs created are good, union jobs," BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Jason Walsh said in the release. "That is why it is so important the United States invests in clean energy, targeted to communities that need it most — including energy transition communities — and strong labor and domestic content standards. The Biden administration has made the creation of good, union jobs a core focus of their work to fight climate change. If we are to build a clean economy that works for all, we need many partners in that work."
