Report: 100,000 green jobs added

From August to the end of January, companies have announced more than 100,000 clean- energy jobs in the United States, according to an analysis released Monday by nonprofit Climate Power.

The advocacy group identified more than 90 new clean-energy projects in 31 states that have been announced since President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in August, representing a total of nearly $90 billion in added investments.

Climate Power monitored press clippings and company announcements to estimate private- sector jobs across a range of sectors aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, wind and solar energy development and efforts in home energy efficiency. The group said the estimated job gain is likely low because the organization relied on public reports.

Most of the tracked projects are in seven states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Georgia has attracted the most investment so far, the group said, with roughly $ 15 billion in projects expected to produce nearly 17,000 jobs. Clean- energy projects in Georgia include a $2.5 billion solar panel factory and new battery plants near Atlanta to supply Hyundai and Kia with EVs.

“The economic boom is starting, and it’s starting because of clean energy and the investments made in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Lori Lodes, Climate Power’s executive director and cofounder. “This really is just the beginning.”

Lodes co- founded Climate Power in 2020 with John Podesta, who served in the Clinton and Obama administrations. Last September Podesta left the board of Climate Power to join the Biden administration, where he oversees implementation of the climate package.

The Inflation Reduction Act, which by 2030 aims to cut the nation’s climate emissions 40% from its 2005 levels, provides billions of dollars in tax credits and other incentives to develop green industries. Before its passage, the green-labor group BlueGreen Alliance and the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts estimated the act would create more than 9 million jobs over 10 years.

Lodes said, given the rarity of the U.S. adopting legislation of such a scope, “it is important that we actually tell the story about the impact of the law and how it’s going to benefit people’s lives. That is how we make the law durable.” She said Climate Power will continue to track new clean-energy project announcements.