DOE releases 2017 U.S. Energy, Employment Report

The U.S. Department of Energy recently released its second annual U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER), which identified significant growth in several energy-related sectors of the U.S. economy in 2016.

“This report verifies the dynamic role that our energy technologies and infrastructure play in a 21st century economy,” DOE Senior Advisor on Industrial and Economic Policy David Foster said.

USEER found that the traditional energy and energy efficiency industries added over 300,000 net jobs, which amounts to 14 percent of U.S. job growth.

The report also found that energy efficiency jobs increased by 133,000 for a total of 2.2 million. Investments in energy infrastructure created 65,000 new jobs. Solar industry employment increased by 25 percent or 73,000 jobs. Wind industry employment added 25,000 jobs for a total of 102,000.

Employers in the energy efficiency, electric power generation, and energy infrastructure predicted increases in new jobs in 2017, while the fuels sector predicted a slight decrease.

73 percent of employers said they found it difficult to or very difficult to find new employees with the necessary skills, a slight increase from last year.

“This report reinforces findings from the Quadrennial Energy Review—we don’t have enough trained workers to fill the 1.5 million new energy jobs by 2030,” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said. “We must work to shrink the skills gap and fill the more than 300,000 expected new, good-paying energy jobs in 2017 alone, by investing in workforce training and apprenticeship programs.”