10/30/2009
According to a
report released on Oct. 22 by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), investment
in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies could result in a net gain
of about 4.5 million jobs in the United States over the next 20 years. The
report is based on a 2007 study conducted by ASES, which detailed the potential
benefits of an aggressive climate change strategy. Though that study at the
time estimated the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors could create
an aggregate 40 million new jobs and generate up to $4.5 trillion in revenue by
2030, the latest report takes into account that some jobs will be lost in
carbon-heavy industries.
Some findings of the
report include:
- The aggressive deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency will
net 4.5 million new jobs by 2030, and this is not limited to certain regions or
sectors – instead, the jobs would be widely dispersed throughout the US in
virtually all industries and occupations.
- Hot jobs given this new economic growth span a diverse range of skills
and experience, including: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, administrative
assistants, machinists, cashiers, management analysts, civil engineers, and
sheet metal workers.
- Renewable energy and energy efficient technologies could displace about 1.2
billion tons of carbon emissions annually by 2030 – the amount scientists
believe is necessary to prevent the most dangerous consequences of climate
change.
- About 57 percent of carbon emissions cuts would be from energy
efficiency and 43 percent would be from renewable energy.
- Energy efficiency measures can allow US carbon emissions to remain about
level through 2030, while renewable technologies can provide large reductions
in carbon emissions below current levels.
- Industries showing the largest job gains include: construction, farming,
professional services, public sector, retail, truck transportation, fabricated
metals and electrical equipment.
- The construction industry directly benefits from almost all of the
growing renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors as well as from
improvements in overall economic growth due to energy savings; farming directly
benefits from biomass and biofuel technology growth.
- Many of these jobs can not be easily outsourced due to the on-site
nature required by these roles.
- The greatest numbers of renewable energy jobs are generated by solar
photovoltaics, biofuels, biomass, and concentrating solar power sectors.
Employment
growth also likely would be seen at state and local government employers, on
farms, and in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector,
according to the report. The authors assert that while some of the jobs likely
would be highly specialized or technical, between 80 and 95 percent would be
jobs that could be performed by workers without specialized training.