US Clean Energy Jobs Expanded In 2024; Growth Expected To Slow

Clean energy employment in the US grew more than 3X faster than the overall economy in 2024, adding nearly 100,000 jobs with a 2.8% annual increase, reaching 3.56 million workers, according to E2’s annual Clean Jobs America report.  

More than 7% of all new jobs added in the country last year and 82% of all new energy jobs were in clean energy domain, specifically in solar, wind, batteries, energy efficiency, storage and grid and other clean energy subsectors.  

While energy efficiency (91,567 in 2024 and 2,381,744 overall) led the job growth in clean energy segment, renewable energy (9,338 in 2024 and 569,309 overall) followed next. 

Among all renewable energy generation technologies, solar alone accounted for 6,012 new jobs (between Q4 2023 and Q4 2024) thus expanding its cumulative to 370,556, according to the report by the environmental advocacy group.  

The US clean energy jobs now account for 42% of all energy jobs and 2.3% of overall national workforce in the country. E2 shares that now more people work in clean energy related occupations than work as nurses, cashiers, waiters and waitresses, or preschool, elementary, and middle school teachers.

Clean energy and clean vehicle sectors added more than 520,000 jobs with an increase of 17% over the last 5 years, ‘far exceeding’ the gain in employment in fossil fuels, gas and diesel motor vehicles as well as the overall US economy. 

“What these numbers show is that this was one of the hottest and most promising job sectors in the country at the end of 2024,” said E2’s Executive Director, Bob Keefe. “Now, clean energy job growth is at serious risk – and with it, our overall economy.”  

Citing US Bureau of Labor Statistics, E2 says that at the beginning of 2025, clean energy was expected to remain one of the fastest growing segments of the US economy. Wind turbine technician and solar installation jobs were projected to be the fastest-growing jobs in America. 

Recent Trump administration policies have slowed renewable energy growth by cutting tax credits, canceling permits, and adding regulatory hurdles. While the E2 report does not reflect these actions, analysts believe that significant job losses have already taken place in the industry and may lead to more. 

In a July 2025 research report, E2 calculated 5,300 job cuts due to clean energy project cancellations in June, and 16,500 jobs lost in 2025 as businesses canceled, closed and scaled back more than $22 billion worth of new factories and clean energy projects in H1 2025.   

The complete E2 report is available on its website for free download.