The U.S. clean energy sector added nearly 100,000 jobs in 2024, growing more than three times faster than the overall job market, according to a report released on Tuesday by nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs).
The sector now employs approximately 3.56 million workers, accounting for over 7% of all new jobs added nationwide last year and 82% of new positions in the broader energy industry, the report said.
Despite the gains, clean energy job growth slowed to its lowest rate since 2020. E2 warned that continued expansion is uncertain amid shifting economic and policy conditions.
“What these numbers show is that this was one of the hottest and most promising job sectors in the country at the end of 2024,” said Bob Keefe, executive director of E2. “Now, clean energy job growth is at serious risk – and with it, our overall economy.”
The group’s Clean Jobs America report also highlighted that over the past five years, clean energy and clean vehicle jobs have grown by 17%, adding more than 520,000 positions. That rate significantly outpaces employment growth in fossil fuels, internal combustion engine vehicle manufacturing, and the broader U.S. economy.
“The strength of the U.S. job market and the future of our energy economy are now inseparable from the growth of clean energy,” said Michael Timberlake, E2’s director of research and publications.
Regionally, the American South led the country in job gains, adding 41,000 clean energy positions in 2024. Western and Northeastern states followed, each contributing more than 20,000 jobs.
E2’s findings come as federal incentives and private-sector investments continue to shape the energy workforce, though the group cautioned that political uncertainty could pose risks to future employment trends in the sector.
