Going green isn't only good for the planet — it can also put some green in your pocket.
The U.S. added 142,000 clean energy jobs last year, with employment in the emerging sector growing more than twice as fast as the rest of the energy industry and the economy overall, the Department of Energy said Wednesday in an annual report.
"The data clearly show that clean energy means jobs — good jobs, union jobs and jobs retained — in communities across the country as we race to dominate the global clean energy economy," said Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of.
The sectors seeing significant job growth include zero-emission vehicles and renewable energy, as well as transmission and storage — growth the Biden administration views as essential for meeting its goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035.
In addition to 90,000 traditional energy construction jobs, the agency found 28,000 more in 2023 involved building new battery and solar module factories, ports for offshore wind, and warehouses to store and transport clean energy products.
President Biden introduced the American Climate Corps in November to hire more than 20,000 young adults to create paths, plant trees, install solar panels, and avoid catastrophic wildfires.
Local leaders also want to boost renewable energy jobs. Last month, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced a $30 million commitment to establish a sustainable energy workforce on Chicago's historically poor South and West sides.