Prospects are bright for green-industry jobs. The International Renewable Energy Agency reported that more than 667,000 people worked in this field in the United States, with a total workforce of more than 11 million around the world as of 2018. Its Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Report 2019 indicated that the biofuel sector accounted for 311,000 jobs, followed by solar (242,000), and wind (114,000).

According to the U.S. Energy and Employment Report, approximately 896,800 people were employed in the electric power generation sector overall in 2019. Employment had increased about 2.5 percent over the previous year, resulting in the addition of approximately 21,200 jobs. The report indicated that wind and solar power were among the fastest-growing categories. Employment in the wind power sector increased 3.2 percent, adding 3,600 jobs, while solar increased 2.3 percent, adding 5,700 jobs. The fast growth of solar and wind industries can be attributed to lower production costs. Better technology and equipment have lowered the cost of wind- and solar-generated electricity. This almost matches the cost of electricity generated by conventional methods such as coal or nuclear.

The U.S. Energy and Employment Report indicated that while overall energy industry employment was projected to grow 3.1 percent in 2020, growth would vary among various sectors. For example, the strongest growth was expected in the electric power generation category, where employment was expected to rise 4.8 percent. Growth of about 3.5 percent was expected in the transmission, distribution, and storage sector, followed by 3.0 percent for both energy efficiency- and motor vehicles-related jobs. The fuels category would experience the smallest growth, at just 1.7 percent. It's important to note that these projections were made prior to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which disrupted virtually every industry in some way, resulting in furloughs and unemployment, as well as project delays and cancellations.

Although the ultimate impact of the pandemic on employment remained to be seen in late 2020, the demand for reliable, clean energy remained. The U.S. Energy and Employment Report indicated that a lack of qualified workers was a challenge for the industry. "Hiring difficulty was highlighted by virtually all sectors as a growing problem," the report noted. "Just over 84 percent of employers across these sectors (84.4 percent) reported difficulty hiring qualified workers over the last 12 months, an increase of over 7 percentage points from 2018 and a total of 14 percentage points since 2017. Almost three-in-ten employers (29 percent) noted it was very difficult (no change from 2018)." This suggests that workers with the right skill sets should find good opportunities in the coming years.

Hydropower is a leading renewable energy resource because of its abundance and ability to produce electricity inexpensively without harmful emissions. However, some dams and other water reservoirs have been found to harm fish and wildlife located in or near the project site. The industry has responded to such claims by hiring specialists to protect vegetation and wildlife affected by hydropower projects. Two factors may limit growth in the hydropower industry. First, most potential sites for hydropower projects have already been utilized. Second, the licensing process for hydropower projects is slow and inefficient. License requests must be reviewed and approved by federal and state agencies, which often have a conflict in goals and regulations, making it difficult to obtain a license.

Improved technological advances, such as more powerful drilling tools, have helped the geothermal energy industry grow in the past few years. Employment opportunities are greatest in the West (especially in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah) for the direct use, or drilling, of geothermal energy, and in the Midwest for geothermal heat pumps. However, with advances in technology, employment opportunities will be plentiful throughout the United States. Long delays in obtaining geothermal land leases from the government could hinder the growth of this industry.

Bioenergy is also experiencing steady growth. Interest in bioenergy will not only stem from its electricity potential, but also the biofuels converted from biomass such as ethanol biobutanal, and biodiesel. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that approximately 17,000 jobs are created for every million gallons of ethanol, an important biomass byproduct, produced. Employment opportunities will exist for chemists, engineers, and other agricultural scientists.

Public interest in renewable energy has grown in the last decade. Research has brought better technology, lowered generating costs, and even developed other uses for renewable energy. However, there are still many barriers that hinder this industry's growth potential: lack of infrastructure to transport renewable energy reliably, competition for local distribution, and lack of government funding for additional research and projects. Increased domestic production of nonrenewable energy resources like natural gas and crude oil also may limit employment growth in the renewable energy industry.

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