With more than 2.3 million American workers, energy efficiency is the fastest-growing segment of U.S. energy-sector employment, accounting for 28% of all energy jobs across the country.
That’s according to a recent analysis from E4TheFuture, a Massachusetts-headquartered nonprofit that promotes energy efficiency, and Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a national nonpartisan business group.
Their report, titled “Energy Efficiency Jobs in America,” also found that energy efficiency jobs grew 3.4% in 2018—more than double the rate of growth for overall jobs nationwide, with another 7.8% growth projected for 2019.
Energy efficiency jobs can be found in various positions within manufacturing, construction, high-tech design and software, as well as certain heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) companies.
The Baton Rouge metropolitan area is home to 4,134 of Louisiana’s now 22,152 total energy efficiency jobs (a 6.3% uptick between 2017 and 2018), according to the report. Statewide, these jobs comprise 10% of all construction jobs and 13% of all energy sector jobs.
Overall, efficiency businesses added 76,000 net new jobs in 2018, accounting for half of all jobs added by the U.S. energy sector. Today, there are more than 360,000 energy efficiency business operating across the country.
