Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

This fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive overview of employment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors globally and within the United States as of 2016 and 2017. It utilizes data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to compare clean energy jobs against fossil fuel employment and detail specific subsector growth.

• In the first quarter of 2016, the clean energy industry in the United States—which encompasses energy efficiency, smart grid, energy storage, renewable electric power, renewable fuels, and electric/hybrid/hydrogen vehicles—directly employed 3,384,834 people. This exceeds the 2,989,844 Americans directly employed by the fossil fuel industry during the same period.
• The U.S. energy efficiency industry is a major employer, with the DOE reporting nearly 2,200,000 direct jobs in green appliances and buildings. The appliance sector is the largest provider within this industry, employing 1,400,511 Americans. The sector is projected to grow by 9 to 11 percent in 2017.
• U.S. renewable energy employment grew significantly, with the DOE reporting 677,544 direct jobs in Q1 2016. The solar industry was a primary driver, providing 373,807 direct jobs, with a growth rate of 24.5 percent between November 2015 and November 2016.
• Globally, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimated 8,079,000 direct and indirect jobs in renewable energy at the end of 2015. The solar photovoltaic (PV) subsector was the largest global employer with approximately 2,772,000 jobs, followed by liquid biofuels (1,678,000) and wind power (1,081,000).
• China is the global leader in renewable energy employment, providing roughly 3,523,000 direct and indirect jobs. It leads the world in seven different renewable energy sectors, including solar PV (1,652,000 jobs) and large hydropower (more than 442,000 jobs).
• Brazil holds the second-largest number of renewable energy jobs worldwide (918,000) and is the global leader in liquid biofuel employment, with approximately 821,000 jobs. This includes 268,400 in sugarcane production, 190,000 in ethanol processing, and 162,600 in biodiesel.
• Within the European Union, Germany is the largest renewable energy employer with 355,000 jobs, leading the EU in wind power with 149,000 jobs. The EU as a whole leads the world in geothermal (55,000 jobs) and Concentrated Solar Power (5,000 jobs) employment.

APA

Lopez, D. (2017). Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-jobs-in-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-2017

Chicago

Lopez, Daniel. Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2017. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-jobs-in-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-2017.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lopez |first1=Daniel |title=Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=15 February 2017 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-jobs-in-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-2017 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lopez2017jobs, author = {Lopez, Daniel}, title = {{Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-jobs-in-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-2017}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }