* Good news and a warning from this press release from Clean Energy Trust and Environmental Entrepreneurs…
More than 113,000 workers are in Illinois’ clean energy industry, surpassing the number of clean energy jobs in other Midwestern states. The clean energy industry, which includes solar, wind, bioenergy and other technology, employs more individuals in Illinois than the fossil fuel industry.
According to a comprehensive analysis – available at www.CleanJobsMidwest.com - unveiled today by Clean Energy Trust (CET) and Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), employment in the clean energy sector in Illinois grew 9%. In 2016, jobs in Illinois’ clean energy sector surpassed expectations for job growth, with small businesses employing nearly 70% of individuals in the clean energy sector.
“The expanding demand for energy efficient building design has allowed dbHMS to grow significantly and create clean jobs here in Illinois,” said Sachin Anand, Principal, dbHMS.
However, while jobs in the clean energy sector grew overall, solar and wind power generation saw job losses. Solar jobs dropped 3.5%, from 4,424 to 4,272 and wind generation saw larger losses dropping 11% from 3,980 to 3,549.
The decrease in solar and wind jobs can be attributed to the failure to fully implement the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in Illinois. Illinois currently has energy efficiency standards and a RPS mandating that by 2016, 25% of the State’s energy come from renewable energy. However, as a result of a spending cap on energy efficiency, Illinois is not currently reaching its’ energy efficiency goals. Businesses project that Illinois’s clean energy workforce overall will grow by only 5.3% over the next 12 months compared to the 9% growth from last year. Fixing the RPS would stimulate growth in these sectors.
“Clean energy is a dynamic sector and central to economic growth in Illinois. Smart public policy will further accelerate the clean energy sector and create thousands of new jobs created across the state, a big economic advantage for Illinois,” said Erik Birkerts, CEO of Clean Energy Trust.
“Microgrid Energy helps businesses install solar power systems, reducing their power bills and saving them money. Illinois has great solar potential, but we need to fix the broken Renewable Portfolio Standards in Illinois to provide certainty for businesses like ours,” said Will Kenworthy, Vice President for Regional Operations at Microgrid Energy.
The report also found:
· Energy efficiency jobs, such as working with high-efficiency lighting, Energy Star appliance manufacturing and high-efficiency HVAC services, are by far the largest clean energy sector employer in the state, employing over three-fourths of the Illinois clean energy workforce.
· The Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metro area has the largest regional clean energy employment in the state with over 81,000 clean energy jobs.
· Clean energy employs more than 550,000 people across the 12-state Midwest region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin).
· Renewable energy generation employed almost 13,000 Illinois workers, distributed relatively evenly between mostly solar, wind, and bioenergy— with 4,200, 3,500, and 3,000 jobs respectively.
“The Midwest is a central hub of America’s clean energy jobs market. Other regions may attract more attention, but there’s no doubt the Midwest is a force in its own right,” said Philip Jordan, Vice President and Principal at BW Research Partnership. “Having such a massive clean energy workforce concentrated in the Midwest is due in no small part to some strong state- and federal-level policies. But as the clean energy businesses we spoke with made abundantly clear, there are some major opportunities for more growth within the sector.”
The analysis – available at www.CleanJobsMidwest.com – is based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and a comprehensive survey of thousands of businesses across Illinois and the region. This analysis was developed with BW Research, and included as part of a major U.S. Department of Energy study of all energy jobs in America released earlier this month. The Clean Jobs Midwest report provides detailed breakdowns of clean energy jobs not available previously – including job totals for every county in Illinois. Illinois is currently home to 113,918 clean energy jobs.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:30 pm:
We used to be near the top of ethanol production as well. I would hate to see history repeat itself.
- Johnny Pyle Driver - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:36 pm:
The RPS fix is one issue, but the budget impasse has to impact the jobs too. The solar and lighting incentives through DCEO have been frozen for over a year now - have to figure that kept a lot of businesses humming
- Mama - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:44 pm:
The state should make sure all the buildings they are renting or own use renewable energy.
- Very Old Soil - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:58 pm:
Pssssttt/ Don’t tell the governor! He won’t allow it to continue.
- Rufus - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 1:06 pm:
@ Mama - “The state should make sure all the buildings they are renting or own use renewable energy.”
Ya - right. I’m sure they’ll get right on it.
If there is anything that the state cares less about things that they control, it’s the buildings under their control. Talk about neglected maintenance. The state has to be first in its neglect of its properties.
- Omega Man - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 1:11 pm:
We are also #1 in political flatus!
- Tinsel Town - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 1:17 pm:
That’s outstanding and I bet Illinois in number one in past due debt, close to filing for bankruptcy.
- Downstate Illinois - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 1:43 pm:
The RPS needs to be junked. So called clean energy is neither reliable or affordable. The last thing we need to is be trapped in a system that can’t handle peak loads due to clouds, sunsets, too little wind or too much. Economic growth takes place when and where electricity is cheap, not expensive.
The only reason why clean energy creates so many jobs is because it’s so ineffecient. That should not be a selling point. It’s just proof of its expensive nature.
Meanwhile these reports always somehow fail to note the hundreds and hundreds of high paying coal and gas jobs we seem to be shedding in this state.
- Vole - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 1:45 pm:
Energy Star appliance manufacturing? I realize that improved efficiency in appliances is part of the big picture in reducing consumption of energy, but still. How and how much those appliances are used is a big determinant of how green they are. Seems like a big bit of grade inflation/hype going on by lumping this with wind and solar.
The big story here is the slowing of wind and solar when these should be on a big upswing.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 1:50 pm:
Downstate Illinois- Let’s look at this another way. For every kilowatt saved through energy efficiencies, that is one more kilowatt that can be used for industry, schools, new homes. One more kilowatt that doesn’t have to have additional energies to produce. Up front costs for some things such as geothermal are expensive. But, when I see my energy bill go from $400 or more per month in the coldest weather to $100 or less instead, it can be worth the investment. And that way, I’m also shedding kilowatts that can be used elsewhere. I may not be net metering, but I’m still providing a savings to my energy cooperative and to myself.
- Belle - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:00 pm:
There is a think tank dedicated to environmental issues in Chicago called CNT. In addition to many projects, they started one of the car-sharing services–I-GO which is now run by Enterprise. They work with the utility companies as well as government agencies and do a lot of out-reach in order to accomplish projects and are quite effective.
- Johnny Pyle Driver - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:00 pm:
Solar is being installed right now, today, at near $4/watt not inclusive of state and federal incentives. When you count the incentives, paybacks are in the range of 5 years, after which you end with little to no power bill for the next 20 years.
Energy star appliances are mentioned because saving money on efficiency saves exponentially on solar and wind
- Senator Clay Davis - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:37 pm:
Downstate Illinois: I guess you don’t have much faith in American innovation. In the 1900s, you’d have decried the automobile because it broke down and was less “reliable” than your horse. In the 70s, you’d have criticized PCs for crashing and clung to your trusty typewriter.
Technological innovation fixed these problems, and it’s fixed the problems that made renewables unreliable and expensive. The 80s are over; renewables are cheaper than new coal and nuclear. If you haven’t noticed, the nuke plants are asking for a $300m annual subsidy, and the state is saying renewables save consumers millions. Who is causing prices to spike again?
- Going nuclear - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:43 pm:
Renewables are nearing grid parity with conventional fuels in several parts of the country. More and more power producers are transitioning away from coal in favor of natural gas. Having a more diverse generation mix will lead to a more reliable and resilient energy system.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 3:21 pm:
It’s all about the bottom line and the cost to consumer. Subsidies might be necessary at the beginning for R&D and incubation of business, but over the long haul, cost-competitive technology created by smart minds will win out, and inefficient technologies shouldn’t be artificially propped up. 100 years from now, we may be laughing at the ways we used to create energy, whether by renewable or non-renewable sources. Diversity in energy sources is OK too, up to a point, until the consumer is saddled with supporting multiple systems determined by regulation and not the free market. Finding the right mix of subsidy, regulation, and market innovation is the challenge.
- Thunder Fred - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 4:21 pm:
Intermittent power sources actually decrease energy efficiency within the power grid. Because they are not dependable you have to build extra capacity to compensate. When that extra capacity goes unused it leads to heat rate efficiency losses.
That said, if my choice of job is to be an IBEW electrician at a power plant or a part time contractor putting solar panels on houses I’m pretty sure which job I’d rather have.