Almost 600K clean energy jobs lost since pandemic start: analysis

Nearly 600,000 clean energy jobs have been lost since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new analysis. 

Using Labor Department data, E2, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), E4TheFuture, and BW Research Partnership found that 447,200 clean energy jobs were lost in April and 594,300 were lost since the pandemic began.

The 594,300 jobs lost amount to a 17 percent decrease in clean energy employment. 

Statements from groups behind the report called on Congress to assist the clean energy industry. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic is delivering an unprecedented blow to renewable industry workers, whose job losses more than tripled over the past month,” said ACORE President and CEO Gregory Wetstone. 

“Congress can help get these Americans back to work, and help get our economy back on track, with commonsense relief for time-sensitive tax credit deadlines and temporary refundability for renewable tax credits that are increasingly difficult to monetize,” Wetstone added. 

The economy at large has also been disrupted by the pandemic; a total of 20.5 million people lost their jobs last month. 

Various parts of the clean energy sector have been hit. The Wednesday report showed 310,188 energy efficiency jobs lost, 71,835 renewables jobs lost and 35,101 clean vehicles jobs lost in April.