Photo Courtesy of Sara Löwgren
The first full year of the Inflation Reduction Act created nearly 150,000 clean energy jobs according to a new report by nonpartisan business group E2.
Nearly 3.5 million people now work in clean energy jobs in the US, more than the total number of nurses nationwide, with 1 million of these jobs centered in the South.
Clean energy jobs grew by 4.5% last year, nearly twice as fast as overall US employment growth, and account for one in 16 new jobs nationally, the report found. New roles in energy efficiency led the way, followed by an increase in jobs in renewable energy, such as wind and solar, electric car manufacturing and battery and electric grid upgrades.
For story on IRA jobs: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/17/biden-environment-clean-energy-jobs-inflation-reduction-act
For full report: https://e2.org/reports/clean-economy-works-two-year-review-2024/
And this just in: The just-released annual IREC National Solar Jobs Census of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council reports that the number of jobs in the U.S. solar industry grew by 6% in 2023 to 279,447. The report notes that as the industry grows it faces a shortage of skilled workers.