The traditional energy and energy efficiency industry added 152,000 new US jobs in 2018, outperforming other sectors during a time of high employment, according to the 2018 U.S. Energy and Employment Report by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and Energy Futures Initiative.
The employment analysis in five energy-related sectors found: the fuels sector gained 52,000 jobs (a 4.8 percent increase); the transmission, distribution, and storage sector gained 33,000 jobs (a 2.6 percent increase); the energy efficiency sector gained 76,000 jobs (a 3.4 percent increase); the motor vehicles sector gained 74,000 jobs (a 3 percent increase with 34,000 jobs in alternative fuels and hybrid vehicle employment driven by the release of the Tesla Model 3); and, the electric power generation sector lost 8,300 jobs (a less than one percent decrease). In the electric power generation sector, job losses in solar, nuclear, and coal-fired generation exceeded the job gains in natural gas, wind, and combined heat and power.
Wisconsin and the Midwest experienced gains in solar jobs over the period (see EnergyOnWI news, February 2019). The report equips states and their partners with the data they need to advance effective, informed, and robust energy policies and programs.