Massachusetts Clean Energy Jobs Grow 81 Percent Since 2010

As 2017 comes to an end, Massachusetts reports another year of growth in its clean energy industry, which now boasts 109,226 jobs according to the 2017 Massachusetts Clean Industry Report commissioned by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The report, which finds that employment in the clean energy industry has grown by 81 percent since 2010, indicates that the sector has established a strong foundation in the Bay State. Between 2016 and 2017, employment grew by four percent, outpacing the 1.5 percent employment growth rate economy-wide in Massachusetts.

Most of the Commonwealth’s clean energy jobs in are in renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand management, and clean heating and cooling. The study reports that jobs in wind power is expected to grow further as major wind developers establish their base in Massachusetts to build projects as part of the 1600 megawatt requirement established in the 2016 Energy Diversity Act.

Clean energy job growth is a regional trend in the Northeast, according to similar studies in Rhode Island, New York, and Vermont. In 2017, Vermont increased clean energy employment by 7.7 percent which equates to over 19,000 workers according to the 2017 Vermont Clean Industry Report. Rhode Island’s clean energy sector now employs 15,205 workers and saw 82 percent employment growth between 2016 and 2017 according to the 2017 Rhode Island Clean Energy Industry Report. And in New York, the clean energy sector grew by three percent outpacing the overall economy’s growth as well. The 2017 New York Clean Energy Industry Report further reports that the state now boasts 146,000 workers, a figure that will continue to increase based on findings that show clean energy companies expect to expand their workforce by an additional seven percent.

These reports are among many data points from 2017 that demonstrate the enduring strength of the clean energy industry in the Northeast.