The clean energy sector had an average job growth rate of 8.7 percent between 2017 and 2019, adding 7,794 new positions, according to the 2020 Pennsylvania Clean Energy Employment Report.
The average job growth rate for other industries statewide was 1.9 percent.
The report studied the five industries: clean energy generation, clean grid and storage, alternative transportation, energy efficiency, and clean fuels. These industries comprised 36 percent of the state’s energy sector and employed more than 97,000 Pennsylvanians in 2019. The majority of the employees earned higher wages than the state median.
The energy efficiency industry was the state’s biggest clean energy employer. These workers were held construction, technology, and manufacturing jobs.
Solar energy positions were the largest share of the workforce in the clean energy generation industry.
The report was released with the 2020 Pennsylvania Energy Employment Report.
Energy comprises 4.5 percent of the state’s workforce and created 19 percent of all new jobs in 2018 and 2019.
Coal-generation jobs declined 8.6 percent while nuclear-generation jobs dropped 4.5 percent. Natural gas electricity generation jobs grew by 13.4 percent.
The state’s largest employer is the motor vehicle industry, and there is growth in the alternative fuel vehicle industries.