STATE WILL NEED THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR

It’s going to take 38,100 workers to help Massachusetts transition to a clean energy state. That’s according to a report published Wednesday by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), a quasi-public agency that supports the state’s green energy industry. The paper forecasts thousands of new jobs by 2030 to meet the state’s decarbonization goals. And as of now, we’re not ready to fill them. The report classifies a worker as a “clean energy worker” if they are working in renewable energy, energy efficiency, alternative transportation, or other decarbonization efforts. These jobs include electricians who install electric panels, insulation workers who help maximize the efficiency of heating and cooling systems, or construction workers who help install electric vehicle charging stations. According to the center’s analysis, Massachusetts needs its clean energy workforce to expand by 37 percent from its current size of 104,000. However, the report also reflects the current challenges of filling those positions today. For example, 88 percent of companies that responded to MassCEC surveys said they have difficulty hiring workers for clean energy jobs. With a national heat wave of record temperatures, the recent flooding in Vermont, and other natural disasters, the climate risk has never been so glaringly real. At the same time, Massachusetts’ clean energy workforce has grown little since 2017, according to the numbers in the report. The pandemic had a role to play in that, wiping out one in every six clean energy jobs (about 12,800). About half of those jobs had returned by 2022. And while the state’s labor market has been strong, with low unemployment rates, the overall labor force is shrinking, which doesn’t help the need for clean energy job expansion. — ARUNI SONI