MA Clean Energy Industry Adds Over 1,000 Workers in 2019

Wednesday, January 08, 2020

GoLocalWorcester Business Team

MA clean energy iIndustry adds over 1,000 workers in 2019 PHOTO: MassCEC

The Massachusetts clean energy industry has grown for the ninth consecutive year.

According to a report released by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) on Tuesday, the state’s clean energy sector added 1,069 workers to the clean energy workforce between 2018 and 2019.

“Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in building a dynamic clean energy industry, and we are pleased to see continued growth in jobs across the industry as well as in emerging markets like energy storage. Ensuring a resilient, clean and affordable energy portfolio is critical to our administration’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change while delivering cost savings and environmental benefits to cities and towns across the Commonwealth,” said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.

Massachusetts now employs over 111,836 workers in the clean energy industry an increase of 86 percent since 2010.

“The clean energy industry has seen significant growth over the last decade, adding over 52,000 workers since 2010. While Massachusetts has created a hub for cleantech innovation, the Commonwealth is positioned to capitalize on opportunities in emerging markets including clean transportation, building efficiency and offshore wind as we work to meet the challenges of climate change,” said MassCEC CEO Stephen Pike.

Clean Energy Industry Grows in MA

According to the report, the clean energy industry in Massachusetts saw growth in its Gross State Product (GSP), increasing five percent over the last year to contribute nearly $14 billion to the statewide economy, accounting for roughly 2.5 percent of the GSP.

The report found that the clean energy industry employs residents in every region of Massachusetts and makes up about 3.1 percent of the Massachusetts workforce.

The Southeast region saw the most job growth, with a 1.5 percent increase from 2018 to 2019, followed by the Northeast region, which recorded a 1.1 percent increase.

The Northeast region, which includes Boston, makes up about 48 percent of total clean energy employment, with over 53,000 workers.

Western Massachusetts saw a 3.2 percent increase in clean energy businesses and 0.6 percent increase in jobs, followed by Central Massachusetts which saw 3 percent growth in total clean energy businesses, and a 0.1 percent increase in jobs.

The report also shows that energy efficiency, demand and management, and clean heating and cooling jobs make up the largest portion of clean energy employment, representing 81,293 jobs, followed closely by renewable energy with 27,510 jobs.

The fastest-growing sector of the clean energy workforce was alternative transportation, with 15 percent growth.

PHOTO: MassCEC