A report from the U.S. Department of Energy says that 1.9 million people were employed last year in energy efficiency-related businesses. This year, that number is expected to grow by 257,000. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story on the study – entitled “United States Energy and Employment Report” – said that researchers found that 1.6 million people work at wind, solar or other types of alternative energy plants.
The study found that efficiency supports 482,000 in finance, management and legal services. Another 133,000 people are employed in the related wholesale, trade and distribution ecosystem. Finally, the story says, 35,000 people have jobs in manufacturing industries related to energy efficiency.
In October, the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association said that there are 25,700 clean energy sector jobs in the state. That represented a 12 percent gain from 2014. Revenue for the sector reached $6.6 billion, an increase of 37 percent.
