15 Percent Growth Since 2014; Four out of Five Clean Energy Workers in Pa. Work in Energy Efficiency; Jobs Data Searchable by County, Legislative District
More than 66,000 Pennsylvanians work in the clean energy industry at 5,900 companies and business establishments across all 67 counties, according to a comprehensive new analysis unveiled today by the national nonpartisan business group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) and Philadelphia-based Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA).
The report - "Clean Jobs Pennsylvania," available here - is based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics information and new data from the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as a survey completed by 400 businesses across Pennsylvania.
"Every day at our factory in Westmoreland County, we see how clean energy puts people to work," said Matthew Maroon, vice president of project management at Pittsburgh-based battery manufacturer Aquion Energy. "For us, clean energy jobs are not jobs of the future - they're right here, right now."
The report was released just days before the Pennsylvania Clean Jobs Forum, scheduled for next Wednesday, July 20, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Duquesne University Power Center in Pittsburgh. More information on that event is here.
"What we've found is that clean energy has created tens of thousands of jobs all across Pennsylvania," said Bob Keefe, E2's executive director. "And if the Commonwealth's lawmakers support commonsense policies to make clean energy and energy efficiency even more readily available to the public, we'll see tens of thousands more of these good-paying jobs."
The Clean Jobs Pennsylvania analysis was conducted for the groups by BW Research Partnership. It includes detailed jobs data down to the county, metropolitan area, congressional and state legislative district levels - making it the most comprehensive tally of clean energy jobs ever in Pennsylvania.
According to the report:
| • | Energy efficiency is by far the state's largest clean energy employer, with more than 53,000 Pennsylvanians working in areas such as high-efficiency lighting, Energy Star appliance manufacturing and high-efficiency HVAC services to reduce wasted energy in homes, schools and businesses. |
| • | More than 8,800 Pennsylvanians work in renewable energy, including about 5,200 who spend at least half their time working in solar and 1,500 who work in wind. |
| • | There are clean energy jobs in every county in Pennsylvania. In metro areas, the Philadelphia area has 22,000 residents working in clean energy, followed by Pittsburgh (13,000 jobs), Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (3,400), Scranton--Wilkes-Barre (3,200) and Harrisburg-Carlisle (3,200). |
To keep these jobs growing, state and federal lawmakers should continue to support policies driving the clean energy sector, according to KEEA and E2. These policies range from the international climate agreement reached in Paris and the Clean Power Plan, to state and regional clean energy goals in Pennsylvania like Act 129 and the state's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, both of which can be strengthened, the report notes.
"Every year, more and more Pennsylvanians earn a good living in the energy efficiency industry," said Matt Elliott, executive director of KEEA. "Strengthening clean energy policies is a sure-fire way for lawmakers to stand alongside these workers, grow our economy and cut energy bills."
This year's report updates the first edition of Clean Jobs Pennsylvania, released in 2014 and available here. The previous report tallied 57,000 Pennsylvania clean energy jobs.
"We're witnessing the next chapter unfold in Pennsylvania's rich history of energy innovation," Keefe said. "Now it's up to Pennsylvania's lawmakers to keep the state at the forefront of the next stage in the evolution of energy - clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency."
To speak with clean energy business leaders in your area, contact E2 press secretary Jeff Benzak at 202-513-6248 or jeff@e2.org. For more information on KEEA, contact executive director Matt Elliott at 267-519-5316 or melliott@keealliance.org.
In addition to Clean Jobs Pennsylvania, E2 has released the following clean energy jobs studies: Clean Jobs America, which shows more than 2.5 million clean energy jobs across the country; Clean Jobs Midwest, which maps more than 500,000 clean energy jobs across 12 Midwestern states, and Clean Jobs New York, which identified more than 85,000 clean energy jobs in the Empire State.
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and manage more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org, or follow us on Twitter at @e2org.
The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(6) corporation dedicated to promoting the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries in Pennsylvania. In 2006, KEEA was founded in response to the pending expiration of utility rate caps in Pennsylvania and the state's lack of energy efficiency policies. With over 50 business members as well as nonprofit and government partners, KEEA advocates on behalf of clean energy on the local, state, and federal levels. By representing the interests of the clean energy industry in Pennsylvania, KEEA is growing the market for energy efficiency and helping the Keystone State secure a prosperous, sustainable tomorrow.
