Growth has been a steady trend throughout the energy sector and clean energy is no exception! In fact, more than 110,000 clean energy and transportation jobs were created in 2012, thanks to more than 300 projects throughout the U.S.  Clean energy, also commonly known as renewable energy or green energy, specifically refers to the energy produced from renewable resources such as water, wind, and solar power. These clean energy resources have greatly risen in popularity due to their lack of environmental debt and high return on investment for consumers.

Clean energy jobs span the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, ranging from entry-level to higher-level professional positions in a wide variety of fields. Some of the most common clean energy job markets include solar PV manufacturing, wind power development, green building design, sustainable bioenergy, and smart grid technologies. Notably, the Southeastern region led the country with 80% of the total U.S. manufacturing-related jobs with solar, advanced vehicles, and wind coming in as the leading industries.

California, North Carolina, and Florida were the nation’s primary leaders for clean energy jobs created in 2012, followed closely by Illinois, Connecticut, Arizona, New York, Michigan, Texas, and Oregon. Specifically, notable clean energy trends in 2012 included:

  • Public transportation drove clean energy job growth on a nationwide level, creating over 43,000 jobs over the course of the year.
  • Solar power was strong and steady in job creation throughout 2012, providing over 19,000 jobs between the manufacturing and power generation sectors.
  • Investment in energy efficiency hit an all-time high of $5.6 billion in 2012, thanks to the announcement of as many as 9,000 new jobs.

The continuous growth of clean energy within the already booming energy sector is promising for job seekers and anyone else looking to join the industry’s workforce. The best way to take advantage of these new opportunities in the sector is to work with a specialized energy-industry-focused staffing company like FootBridge Energy. FootBridge Energy has been fostering a culture of success for over a decade and prides itself in being a competitive resource for hiring talented professionals at the world’s most recognized energy companies. If you are ready to take the first step in your energy industry career, contact FootBridge Energy today!