Wolf Administration Report Says Clean Energy Is A Leading Creator Of Jobs In Pa.

HARRISBURG (KDKA) - The Wolf administration released a report on clean energy, saying the sector is a leading creator of jobs in Pennsylvania.

According to the report, the clean energy sector added almost 8,000 jobs from 2017 to 2019. That's an 8.7 percent average job growth rate compared to the 1.9 percent average overall growth rate in the state.

The data comes from five industries: energy efficiency, clean energy generation, alternative transportation, clean grid and storage and clean fuels.

These industries employed 97,000 Pennsylvanians in 2019, the report says, which is 36 percent of the state's energy sector. Seventy-five percent of these workers earned higher wages than the statewide median.

The report also says Pennsylvania's natural gas electric generation capacity has doubled in the past decade, leading to a 13.4 percent increase in employment in that area from 2017 to 2019. But the state says the "rapidly increasing output" from Pa.'s unconventional wells is outpacing consumption and leading to a reduction in siting and drilling for new wells.

"The Pennsylvania Clean Energy Employment Report comes at an opportune time, as government and industry leaders look to strengthen Pennsylvania's workforce and economy in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic," Gov. Tom Wolf said in a press release.

"This detailed analysis of data and trends in clean energy employment in 2017-19 demonstrates the sector was a top job generator statewide, and shows which industries were hiring and looking for trained workers."

The governor also says workforce training investment decisions can benefit residents and position the state "to grow and improve livelihoods, the economy and our environment​."

You can read the full report online.