Solar Energy Job Estimates 2020–2030
(photovoltaics)
Battery Storage Job Estimates 2020–2030
(stationary, grid-connected)
Wind Energy Job Estimates 2020–2030
(land-based)
Energy Eciency Job Estimates 2020–2030
(utility cost-eective measures in buildings)
Legend
Jobs (reported) Jobs (modeled with IMPLAN) Jobs (low, modeled; see methodology) Jobs (high, modeled; see methodology)
1
Jobs include direct (installation and operations, maintenance) and indirect (supply chain) jobs aligned with goods and services associated with each clean energy sector regardless of the
amount of labor hours spent working with the technology in a work week. The job estimates presented here therefore are not full-time equivalent measures.
West Virginia’s
Clean Energy Jobs
Potential Through 2030
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, West Virginia had 1,129,785
people in its working population (15 to 64 years of age) in 2019.
The graphs below show solar photovoltaic (PV), land-based wind,
battery energy storage (BES), and energy eciency job estimates
in 2020, 2025, and 2030.
1
These job estimates do not represent
net job creation. Rather, they represent the size of the workforce
required to achieve projected national deployment levels of each
technology for 2025 and 2030 if the state captures the same
proportion of jobs in the sector as it did in 2020.
334
375
410
461
628
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,886
2,117
2,318
2,603
3,549
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
3,309
3,715
4,066
4,567
6,226
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
245
275
301
338
461
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
414
465
509
571
779
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,797
2,017
2,208
2,480
3,381
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
116
130
143
160
218
-
50
100
150
200
250
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
DC
WV
WI
WY
WA
VA
VT
1,579
2,062
2,733
2,840
4,068
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
51
141
213
-
50
100
150
200
250
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
365
691
1,080
991
2,058
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
4,124
5,387
7,139
7,418
10,627
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
2,116
5,409
8,939
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
788
1,490
2,330
2,138
4,441
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
4,351
5,683
7,532
7,827
11,213
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,140
3,167
4,927
-
1,000
2,
000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
2,051
3,879
6,064
5,563
11,557
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,328
1,735
2,299
2,389
3,422
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
210
537
841
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
69
131
205
188
391
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
400
522
692
719
1,030
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
611
1,562
2,772
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
351
663
1,037
952
1,977
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
3,496
4,567
6,053
6,290
9,011
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,028
2,558
4,524
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,019
1,926
3,012
2,763
5,741
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
161
211
279
290
415
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
323
823
1,420
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
217
410
641
589
1,223
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
334
375
410
461
628
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,886
2,117
2,318
2,603
3,549
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
3,309
3,715
4,066
4,567
6,226
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
245
275
301
338
461
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
414
465
509
571
779
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,797
2,017
2,208
2,480
3,381
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
116
130
143
160
218
-
50
100
150
200
250
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
DC
WV
WI
WY
WA
VA
VT
1,579
2,062
2,733
2,840
4,068
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
51
141
213
-
50
100
150
200
250
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
365
691
1,080
991
2,058
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
4,124
5,387
7,139
7,418
10,627
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
2,116
5,409
8,939
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
788
1,490
2,330
2,138
4,441
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
4,351
5,683
7,532
7,827
11,213
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,140
3,167
4,927
-
1,000
2,
000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
2,051
3,879
6,064
5,563
11,557
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,328
1,735
2,299
2,389
3,422
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
210
537
841
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
69
131
205
188
391
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
400
522
692
719
1,030
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
611
1,562
2,772
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
351
663
1,037
952
1,977
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
3,496
4,567
6,053
6,290
9,011
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,028
2,558
4,524
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,019
1,926
3,012
2,763
5,741
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
161
211
279
290
415
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
323
823
1,420
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
217
410
641
589
1,223
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
334
375
410
461
628
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,886
2,117
2,318
2,603
3,549
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
3,309
3,715
4,066
4,567
6,226
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
245
275
301
338
461
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
414
465
509
571
779
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,797
2,017
2,208
2,480
3,381
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
116
130
143
160
218
-
50
100
150
200
250
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
DC
WV
WI
WY
WA
VA
VT
1,579
2,062
2,733
2,840
4,068
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
51
141
213
-
50
100
150
200
250
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
365
691
1,080
991
2,058
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
4,124
5,387
7,139
7,418
10,627
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
2,116
5,409
8,939
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
788
1,490
2,330
2,138
4,441
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
4,351
5,683
7,532
7,827
11,213
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,140
3,167
4,927
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
2,051
3,879
6,064
5,563
11,557
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,328
1,735
2,299
2,389
3,422
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
210
537
841
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
69
131
205
188
391
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
400
522
692
719
1,030
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
611
1,562
2,772
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
351
663
1,037
952
1,977
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
3,496
4,567
6,053
6,290
9,011
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,028
2,558
4,524
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,019
1,926
3,012
2,763
5,741
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
161
211
279
290
415
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
323
823
1,420
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
217
410
641
589
1,223
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
334
375
410
461
628
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,886
2,117
2,318
2,603
3,549
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
3,309
3,715
4,066
4,567
6,226
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
245
275
301
338
461
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
414
465
509
571
779
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,797
2,017
2,208
2,480
3,381
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
116
130
143
160
218
-
50
100
150
200
250
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
DC
WV
WI
WY
WA
VA
VT
1,579
2,062
2,733
2,840
4,068
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
51
141
213
-
50
100
150
200
250
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
365
691
1,080
991
2,058
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
4,124
5,387
7,139
7,418
10,627
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
2,116
5,409
8,939
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
788
1,490
2,330
2,138
4,441
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
4,351
5,683
7,532
7,827
11,213
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,140
3,167
4,927
-
1,000
2,
000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
2,051
3,879
6,064
5,563
11,557
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,328
1,735
2,299
2,389
3,422
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
210
537
841
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
69
131
205
188
391
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
400
522
692
719
1,030
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
611
1,562
2,772
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
351
663
1,037
952
1,977
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
3,496
4,567
6,053
6,290
9,011
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,028
2,558
4,524
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
1,019
1,926
3,012
2,763
5,741
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
161
211
279
290
415
-
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
323
823
1,420
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
217
410
641
589
1,223
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
2020 2025 2030
Number of Jobs
October 2021
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401
303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov
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NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy
Oce of Energy Eciency and Renewable Energy
Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
2020 Statistics
Further details can be found in the Methodology section of State-Level Employment Projections for Four Clean Energy Technologies
in 2025 and 2030. Please visit https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/81486.pdf.
Additional support and resources from NREL are available at https://www.nrel.gov/state-local-tribal/.
Methodology
Battery Energy Storage (BES), Solar Photovoltaics (PV),
and Land-Based Wind
State-level job gures shown for 2020 reect what was reported in
the Energy Employment by State: 2021, U.S. Energy and Employment
Report (USEER), adjusted to match the scope of the technologies
included in this report (e.g., solar includes only PV and not
concentrating solar power, wind only includes land-based wind
and not oshore wind, etc.). For 2025 and 2030, NREL projected
national deployments and associated job estimates and allocated
jobs to states based on the proportion of the job market a state
captured in 2020 according to the jobs reported in the Energy
Employment by State: 2021, USEER. This analysis assumes that a
state will capture the same proportion of national jobs in each
clean energy sector as it did in 2020.
National job estimates in 2025 and 2030 were derived from
multiplying projected deployments (using NREL’s Regional Energy
Deployment System (ReEDS) and Distributed Generation Market
Demand (dGen) models) by a national jobs multiplier (calculated
using cumulative deployments and reported jobs nationwide
in 2020). The job multiplier was applied to two deployment
scenarios to arrive at a range of projected jobs for BES, PV, and
land-based wind nationwide in 2025 and 2030. The lower end of
the range is based on the ReEDS mid-case (“business as usual”)
scenario that assumes a mid-case cost reduction trajectory
for each technology; the upper end of the range is based on
“accelerated” deployment scenarios that assumes each of the
three technologies experience more pronounced cost declines
while other generation technologies experience mid-case cost
reductions. As such, the accelerated deployment projections and
associated jobs estimates should not be viewed as an integrated
comprehensive future scenario that states could achieve. Rather,
each technology’s accelerated deployment estimates should be
considered separately as a comparison of opportunities.
Energy Eciency
Energy eciency jobs were estimated using the Electric Power
Research Institute's (EPRI) State Level Energy Eciency Potential
Estimates data and the IMPLAN input-output model. Energy
eciency deployments for 2025 and 2030 were modeled using
EPRI’s total achievable energy eciency potential scenario, which
calculates savings from all cost-eective measures from a utility
perspective. EPRI’s model only includes measures that are cost-
eective from a utility perspective and does not account for other
economy-wide energy eciency measures (measures adopted
without nancial incentives or promotion from utility programs).
Therefore, the job estimates for energy eciency are not
comparable to those measured by the U.S. Energy and Employment
Report, which captures economy-wide energy eciency jobs.
Energy eciency jobs are allocated to states based on the
proportion of national investments a state is projected to make.
2020 Deployments
Solar and wind deployments for 2020 are reported by trade
associations. Because few data exist showing state-level BES
deployments, NREL used the ReEDS model to estimate 2020
BES deployments. Energy eciency deployments for 2020 were
modeled using EPRI’s State Level Energy Eciency Potential
Estimates for the total achievable energy eciency potential,
which calculates savings from all cost-eective measures from a
utility perspective. EPRI’s model only includes measures that are
cost-eective from a utility perspective, and does not account for
other economy-wide energy eciency measures.
NREL/FS-5500-82223 • March 2022
Technology Deployments Units Data Sources
Solar 13 MW Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
Wind 742 MW U.S. Department of Energy Wind Exchange
Battery Storage 100 MW Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) Model
Energy Eciency 495 GWh Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)