Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides data on 'green' jobs in the United States, with a specific focus on employment within the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. It compiles figures from various government agencies, national laboratories, and industry associations to estimate current employment levels and project future job growth.

• In the fourth quarter of 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) analyzed that there were 3.4 million green jobs in the United States, representing 2.6 percent of all jobs in the country.
• A study by the Brookings Institution and Battelle found that in 2010, the 'clean economy' employed 2.7 million people, which exceeded the 2.4 million people employed in the fossil fuel industry.
• Employment in the energy efficiency sector is estimated at 823,105 direct jobs according to a Brookings-Battelle study. The largest contributor to this total is Public Mass Transit with 350,547 direct jobs, followed by Energy-saving Building Materials with 161,896 direct jobs.
• Renewable energy employment varies by technology, with biofuels supporting the highest number of jobs at 383,260 (including direct, indirect, and induced) in 2012. Other significant sectors include hydropower (200,000 to 300,000 jobs in 2010), solar (119,016 workers as of November 2012), and wind (more than 80,000 Americans in 2012).

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2013). Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Green-Jobs_061113.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. 2013. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Green-Jobs_061113.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency |date=June 2013 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Green-Jobs_061113.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2013jobs, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2013}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Green-Jobs_061113.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }