The 2020 U.S. Energy & Employment Report – Positive Change Purchasing Cooperative

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Author: American Council on Renewable Energy Published: 7/5/2020

Download This Year’s Report

The U.S. Energy & Employment Report provides a unique window on the people who meet the nation’s energy needs, and identifies important trends and skill sets for the 21st Century energy workforce. Download the 2020 Executive Summary.

Energy Futures Initiative, a not-for-profit clean energy think tank led by former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, and the National Association of State Energy Officials, which represents the 56 governor-designated State and Territory energy officials, have once again teamed up to produce the 2020 USEER.

COVID-19: Please Download the EFI and NASEO Response to the Potential Impact of the Virus on U.S. Energy Employment

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT

SEE THE STATE REPORTS

STATE-BY-STATE DATA

The USEER provides individual state snapshots that are useful for understanding and comparison.

Check out our webinar for exclusive insights and analysis of the jobs data in this year’s report. View the webinar now

Download the 5-Year Trend Report

The 2020 USEER is the fifth iteration of the annual energy and employment report. This section serves as a summary analysis of the past 5 years of U.S. energy and employment data.

DOWNLOAD 5-YEAR REPORT

VIEW PREVIOUS REPORTS

“As the energy industry experiences continual change, the USEER puts a spotlight on markets, technologies, and occupations that offer opportunities for higher wages and revenue growth.”

— David Terry, Executive Director. NASEO

By the Numbers

The USEER survey is a supplement to Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment data and offers detailed information found nowhere else, making it an invaluable tool for policymakers, academic officials and business executives.

The USEER provides:

• Employment numbers and trends
• Wage data by sector
• Employer hiring expectations for the next 12 months
• Hiring difficulty by technology and industrial classification

• High demand jobs and skills gaps
• Workforce demographics by race, ethnicity, gender, and veteran’s status
• Geographic location by state, county, congressional and legislative districts, and MSA of each technology and industrial classifications

6,800,000

Number of jobs in the traditional Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors

54,000

Jobs added in Energy Efficiency professional services

120,300

Number of jobs added in these sectors in the last year

266,300

Total jobs for employees working  with alternative fuels

33,500

New positions for petroleum fuels, most of traditional energy jobs

896,800

Total jobs in the sector  of Electric Power Generation

18,000

More jobs in oil and  natural gas extraction

78%

Of construction employees spend at least 50 percent of their time on Energy Effficency-related work

RISE IN TOTAL ENERGY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND MOTOR VEHICLES JOBS

Line chart with 4 data points.

View as data table, Rise in Total Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Motor Vehicles Jobs

The chart has 1 X axis displaying values. Range: 2015.97 to 2019.03.

The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 7700000 to 8300000.

Rise in Total Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Motor Vehicles Jobs7,762,3597,762,3597,903,6807,903,6808,137,0838,137,0838,267,3958,267,39520162017201820197.7 million7.8 million7.9 million8 million8.1 million8.2 million8.3 million

End of interactive chart.

Growth by Sector Over Time

The U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USEER) is an annual report, based on a survey administered to over 30,000 employers across 53 different energy technologies. Originally published by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2016, the USEER was produced in 2018, 2019 and this year by the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) under the identical, federally-approved protocols as previous editions.

SELECT A BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR

Fuels

Fuels

Fuels employment encompasses all work related to fuel extraction and mining, including petroleum refineries and firms that support coal mining, oil, and gas field machinery manufacturing. Workers across both the forestry and agriculture industries that support fuel production with corn ethanol, biodiesels, and fuel wood are also included in the fuel employment data.

TRENDS OVER TIME

JOBS IN THE FUELS SECTOR

Line chart with 4 data points.

View as data table, Jobs in the Fuels Sector

The chart has 1 X axis displaying values. Range: 2015.97 to 2019.03.

The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 1060000 to 1160000.

Jobs in the Fuels Sector1,082,7491,082,7491,075,1981,075,1981,127,5531,127,5531,148,8931,148,89320162017201820191.06 million1.08 million1.1 million1.12 million1.14 million1.16 million

End of interactive chart.

TRENDS IN THE LAST YEAR

2019 Job Gain: In 2019, the Fuels sector grew by approximately 26,100 jobs, or about 2 percent for a total of 1,148,893 jobs.
Oil and Gas Growth Continues: Oil and natural gas employers added the most new jobs, more than 18,000, employing 615,500 and 276,000 respectively.
Coal Stable: Coal fuels jobs increased by 612 jobs (less than 1 percent), totaling about 75,500.
Biofuels: While corn ethanol declined slightly, woody biomass and other biofuels added 775 jobs, for a growth rate of nearly 2 percent.
2020 Expectations: Employers in the Fuels sector anticipate nearly 2 percent job growth in 2020, with most of the increase expected in natural gas.

Electric Power Generation

Electric Power Generation

Electric Power Generation (EPG) covers all utility and non-utility employment across electric generating technologies, including fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable energy technologies. Also included in the employment totals are any firms engaged in facility construction, turbine and other generation equipment manufacturing, operations and maintenance, and wholesale parts distribution for all electric generation technologies.

TRENDS OVER TIME

JOBS IN THE ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION SECTOR

Line chart with 4 data points.

View as data table, Jobs in the Electric Power Generation Sector

The chart has 1 X axis displaying values. Range: 2015.97 to 2019.03.

The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 740000 to 810000.

Jobs in the Electric Power Generation Sector747,139747,139784,389784,389782,935782,935799,472799,4722016201720182019740k750k760k770k780k790k800k810k

End of interactive chart.

TRENDS IN THE LAST YEAR

2019 Job Gain: In 2019, the Electric Power Generation sector gained 21,245 jobs, increasing by more than 2 percent to a total of 896,830 jobs, reversing a decline in 2018.
Technology Shifts: Advanced and traditional natural gas added the most new jobs, 9,100, while majority-time solar followed, gaining 5,700 jobs. Other technologies that grew included wind, combined heat and power, hydro, and geothermal. Nuclear and coal generation declined.
Electric Power Generation Mix: From 2006 to 2018, net electricity generation from natural gas increased by 86 percent while net generation from coal declined by 42 percent. In 2018 and 2019, coal generation employment declined by over 14 percent, losing over 13,000 jobs.
2020 Expectations: Electric Power Generation employers anticipated 4.8 percent job growth in 2020, with most of the increase expected in renewable generation construction.

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, Distribution & Storage

Transmission, Distribution, and Storage (TDS) infrastructure for electric power and fuel links energy supplies to intermediate and end users.

TRENDS OVER TIME

JOBS IN THE TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, AND STORAGE SECTOR

Line chart with 4 data points.

View as data table, Jobs in the Transmission, Distribution, and Storage Sector

The chart has 1 X axis displaying values. Range: 2015.97 to 2019.03.

The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 1300000 to 1400000.

Jobs in the Transmission, Distribution, and Storage Sector1,317,0321,317,0321,332,8261,332,8261,365,3461,365,3461,383,6461,383,64620162017201820191.3 million1.32 million1.34 million1.36 million1.38 million1.4 million

End of interactive chart.

TRENDS IN THE LAST YEAR

2019 TDS Employment: Excluding retail employees in gas stations and fuel dealers, 1,383,646 workers were employed in Transmission, Distribution, and Storage, adding 17,800 new jobs.
2020 Expectations: TDS employers predict 3.5 percent job growth in 2020, led by construction firms who anticipate 6.7 percent growth, followed by professional and business services and manufacturing employers who anticipate 7.6 percent and 3.5 percent growth, respectively.
Key Industry Sectors: The construction sector employed 36 percent of all TDS workers, while the utility industry employed another 30 percent

Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency employment covers both the production and installation of energy-saving products and the provision of services that reduce end-use energy consumption. These jobs, as specified in the current survey, include the manufacture of ENERGY STAR®-labeled products, as well as building design and contracting services that provide insulation, improve natural lighting, and reduce overall energy consumption across homes and businesses.

TRENDS OVER TIME

JOBS IN THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY SECTOR

Line chart with 4 data points.

View as data table, Jobs in the Energy Efficiency Sector

The chart has 1 X axis displaying values. Range: 2015.97 to 2019.03.

The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 2150000 to 2400000.

Jobs in the Energy Efficiency Sector2,181,5112,181,5112,248,5242,248,5242,324,8662,324,8662,378,8932,378,89320162017201820192.15 million2.2 million2.25 million2.3 million2.35 million2.4 million

End of interactive chart.

TRENDS IN THE LAST YEAR

2019 Job Growth: In 2019, the Energy Efficiency sector continued to produce the most new jobs of any energy sector–more than 54,000–with 2,378,893 jobs in total. Demand growth for efficient technology and building upgrades has driven expansion across many traditional industries including construction trades (which added more than 27,600 jobs) and professional services (which added nearly 14,800 employees).
2020 Expectations: Energy Efficiency employers report a projected growth rate for employment in 2020 of 3 percent or nearly 71,000 new jobs. Construction employers report expected Energy Efficiency job growth of 3.6 percent (48,000 jobs) by the end of 2020.
Key Occupations: The majority (56 percent) of Energy Efficiency employees worked at construction firms in 2019, installing or servicing Energy Efficiency goods or performing Energy Efficiency related services.68 21 percent of workers in the Energy Efficiency sector were employed in professional and business services.

Motor Vehicles

Motor Vehicles

Though not considered a sector of the Traditional Energy industry, the Motor Vehicles and Component Parts sector, which includes cars, light-duty and heavy-duty trucks, trailers, and component parts of the foregoing, are included in this report, given both the high energy consumption of their manufacture and their contribution to end-use energy consumption.

TRENDS OVER TIME

JOBS IN THE MOTOR VEHICLES SECTOR

Line chart with 4 data points.

View as data table, Jobs in the Motor Vehicles Sector

The chart has 1 X axis displaying values. Range: 2015.97 to 2019.03.

The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 2425000 to 2575000.

Jobs in the Motor Vehicles Sector2,433,9282,433,9282,462,7432,462,7432,536,3822,536,3822,556,4922,556,49220162017201820192.425 million2.45 million2.475 million2.5 million2.525 million2.55 million2.575 million

End of interactive chart.

TRENDS IN THE LAST YEAR

2019 Overall Job Growth: The Motor Vehicles and Component Parts sector employed 2,556,492 Americans in 2019, adding more than 20,000 workers to the number employed in 2018. This figure excludes dealerships and retailers, which employed more than two million additional workers.
Manufacturing stable: Manufacturing employment, the largest industry sector in Motor Vehicles and Component Parts, contracted only slightly from 1,010,598 to 1,007,138 workers in 2019.
Alternative fuels vehicles and hybrids: Within the overall total for the sector, alternative fuels vehicles and hybrids employed 266,384 workers in 2019, a decline of over 5,300 jobs.
Fuel economy: Nearly 494,000 employees (44 percent), an increase of 8,000, work in the component parts segment of the sector with products that contribute to fuel economy.
2020 Expectations: Motor Vehicles and Component Parts employers anticipate 3.0 percent growth in 2020.

About the Report

Produced by the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) in partnership with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) provides a quantitative lens with which to evaluate the employment impact of new energy technologies, shifting fuels deployment, and evolving transmission and distribution systems. It also presents a unique snapshot of energy efficiency employment in key sectors of the economy, including construction and manufacturing. The report also illustrates how fuel efficiency as well as new technologies and materials affect employment in the motor vehicle industry.

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Credits

Data collection and analysis was provided by BW Research Partnership, a full-service research firm with offices in California and Massachusetts.

The report and this website were designed by MG Strategy & Design.

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