Clean energy job growth in Texas outpaces most other states

Texas came in 10th in a new study by the news and opinion website 24/7 Wall St. that ranked all 50 states in terms of their clean energy job growth from 2018 to 2020.

The Lone Star State’s clean energy job growth over that time period was 9.2%, well above the nationwide growth rate in clean energy jobs of 6%. Although Texas sustained a loss of 17,882 clean energy jobs last year as the coronavirus pandemic set in, it recorded job gains of 7.2% in the second half of 2020, according to the analysis.

Texas residents now working in the clean energy industry now number 223,406, or 1.87% of the entire state workforce, 24/7 Wall St. reported. Its clean energy workforce is among the largest in the nation, on par with California, Florida and New York.

Clean energy jobs have risen in recent years, reaching about 3.36 million nationwide prior to the pandemic, according to the nonpartisan group E2. The industry’s pay averaged $23.89 in 2019, the study found. 

Energy-efficiency jobs, such as those involved with manufacturing energy-efficient lighting, represent two-thirds of U.S. clean energy jobs. And about 500,000 jobs are in the solar and wind energy industry, the report says. Other clean energy workers manufacture electric vehicles or energy storage systems. 

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Which States Are Adding the Most Clean Energy Jobs?

Rank	State	Clean Energy Employment Growth, 2018-2020	Clean Energy Jobs Lost in 2020	Clean Energy Jobs Recovered in 2020	Total Employment in Clean Energy	% of State Workforce Working in Clean Energy
50	Vermont	0.8%	1,397	9.7%	15,238	5.37%
49	California	2.2%	51,939	13.5%	484,980	3.01%
48	Wisconsin	2.8%	7,342	6.2%	69,343	2.52%
47	Delaware	3.3%	1,964	5.6%	11,979	2.79%
46	Wyoming	3.3%	679	5.3%	8,042	3.05%
45	Michigan	3.4%	11,909	20.4%	113,456	2.81%
44	Rhode Island	3.4%	2,555	10.6%	13,874	3.07%
43	Maryland	3.5%	6,707	8.2%	77,842	3.12%
42	Oregon	3.6%	4,467	10.6%	52,150	2.84%
41	Massachusetts	3.6%	13,568	5.9%	108,909	3.29%
40	Washington	3.8%	9,351	18.6%	75,684	2.32%
39	Tennessee	3.9%	6,674	5.7%	72,952	2.50%
38	Missouri	4.0%	4,916	9.3%	51,570	1.92%
37	Connecticut	4.4%	2,557	11.1%	39,898	2.56%
36	South Dakota	4.4%	51	9.2%	11,406	2.70%
35	Indiana	4.7%	6,278	12.5%	80,614	2.74%
34	Hawaii	5.0%	1,378	31.9%	12,550	2.47%
33	Arkansas	5.1%	1,570	9.5%	18,807	1.59%
32	New Hampshire	5.1%	1,248	3.0%	15,323	2.42%
31	Alaska	5.2%	780	17.1%	4,848	1.60%
30	North Carolina	5.2%	13,050	16.6%	99,670	2.31%
29	Mississippi	5.2%	2,235	11.7%	18,750	1.72%
28	North Dakota	5.8%	934	12.5%	8,258	2.07%
27	Nebraska	5.8%	1,594	11.6%	17,846	1.88%
26	Illinois	5.8%	10,230	6.7%	115,133	2.07%
25	Virginia	5.8%	8,935	6.5%	88,370	2.36%
24	South Carolina	6.0%	4,639	13.7%	41,888	2.07%
23	Minnesota	6.0%	6,477	10.1%	55,329	2.05%
22	Iowa	6.0%	3,103	8.2%	28,953	1.96%
21	Ohio	6.4%	10,951	10.1%	103,437	2.01%
20	Alabama	6.6%	4,342	13.3%	39,486	2.08%
19	Arizona	7.4%	5,602	7.0%	56,504	2.02%
18	Utah	7.4%	2,491	3.8%	41,514	2.73%
17	Montana	7.5%	917	11.4%	9,460	2.03%
16	Kentucky	7.9%	5,116	26.8%	33,150	1.83%
15	Kansas	8.0%	2,336	5.9%	22,572	1.70%
14	Maine	8.1%	875	12.4%	11,922	2.00%
13	New York	8.7%	6,129	10.5%	153,208	1.79%
12	New Mexico	9.1%	1,249	13.2%	11,116	1.44%
11	Idaho	9.2%	636	10.8%	12,545	1.64%
10	Texas	9.2%	17,882	7.2%	223,406	1.87%
9	Pennsylvania	9.6%	6,548	20.9%	87,313	1.59%
8	Florida	9.6%	16,408	12.0%	149,624	1.80%
7	Colorado	9.6%	4,238	6.0%	58,182	2.24%
6	Georgia	9.9%	12,695	29.6%	71,111	1.66%
5	West Virginia	10.3%	1,081	9.5%	8,996	1.39%
4	Oklahoma	10.7%	2,633	14.9%	20,132	1.31%
3	New Jersey	10.8%	7,043	10.5%	50,096	1.33%
2	Louisiana	11.6%	4,716	17.5%	26,393	1.52%
1	Nevada	38.9%	2,597	8.4%	31,191	2.49%

Source: 24 / 7 Wall St.