WASHINGTON — More than 2.5 million Americans work in the clean energy sector across all 50 states, according to a new analysis unveiled by the national nonpartisan business group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

The report — “Clean Jobs America,” available here — is based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics information and new data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as well as a comprehensive survey of tens of thousands of businesses across the country. The report provides detailed breakdowns of clean energy jobs not available previously.

According to the findings, energy efficiency is by far the nation’s largest clean energy sector employer, with nearly 1.9 million Americans working in areas such as high-efficiency HVAC services and Energy Star appliance manufacturing to reduce energy waste in homes, schools, and businesses.

Nearly 414,000 people work in renewable energy, the study found. The top renewable sectors were solar with 299,000 workers (including nearly 209,000 who work on solar full-time or close to full time, as The Solar Foundation noted in its 2015 job census) and wind with 77,000 workers.

“Clean energy is no longer a niche business — it’s a big-time job creator,” said Dan Smolen, managing director of The Green Suits, a Virginia-based talent recruitment and career development firm. “Our lawmakers need to realize that — and put policies in place, right now, to help the sector grow even more.”

The Clean Jobs America analysis was done for E2 by BW Research Partnership, which has conducted similar studies for state and federal agencies. The report was developed with survey responses from 20,000 U.S. companies BW Research contacted in late 2015. The report was done in collaboration with Clean Energy Trust, The Solar Foundation, Advanced Energy Economy, and other partners.

For more information about Environmental Entrepreneurs, visit www.e2.org.

Publication date: 4/18/2016

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