Chicago, IL (October 17, 2024) – Clean energy and clean vehicle companies added more than 5,100 jobs in Illinois. During the first full year of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the total number of clean energy workers in Illinois grew to almost 129,000, according to the ninth annual Clean Jobs Midwest report released today by the national, nonpartisan business group E2, Evergreen Climate Innovations and the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.
Boosted by the more than 340 major clean energy projects announced across the country since the passage of the IRA and Illinois’ momentum on clean energy progress since the 2021 passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), clean energy jobs in the state grew 4.2 percent last year – over 8 times faster than economy-wide jobs in Illinois, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). The spike in clean energy jobs included 2,010 new manufacturing jobs and 2,004 jobs in clean vehicles, the fastest growing sector (14.4%) for clean energy jobs in Illinois once again.
Illinois ranked 5 in the U.S. for clean energy jobs. Energy efficiency remains the top overall clean energy employer with over 86,700 workers followed by renewable energy (19,254 jobs), and clean vehicles (15,881 jobs). The majority of the state’s clean energy workers are employed in construction and professional services.
Home to more than 85,300 of the state’s clean energy workers, the Chicago metro area ranked 5th in the U.S. for most clean energy jobs.
“The historic policies and incentives created by the IRA are powering an American economic revolution across our energy industry, and workers and businesses across the Midwest are benefiting,” said Micaela Preskill, Director of State Advocacy for E2. “This report clearly shows clean energy is driving significant employment gains and outpacing traditional energy sectors, demonstrating the importance of data-driven policy making to create jobs where they are needed most.”
“The rapid growth in clean energy jobs across the region reflects the momentum of innovation to address climate change head on,” said Michelle Carr, CEO of Evergreen Climate Innovations. “Companies are expanding, hiring, and driving technological breakthroughs that are crucial for a sustainable future. At Evergreen Climate Innovations, we witness firsthand how startups in our portfolio respond to the opportunities created by the Inflation Reduction Act, driving growth in the region and positioning the Midwest as a leader in the clean energy transition. This progress begets more progress and we are optimistic for what’s next as innovators transform the energy landscape to be carbon free.”
“We’re excited to see how the federal Inflation Reduction Act and Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) are delivering thousands of good-paying jobs, including in communities that were often left behind in the clean energy economy before these landmark laws were passed. CEJA was written with equity at its core and puts people on a path to not just a job, but a career. We look forward to building upon this success on the path to Illinois’ clean energy future,” said Liliana Scales, State Director of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.
“Supporting green manufacturing and green energy benefits us all in so many ways: we’re creating jobs, saving money and developing a more sustainable, safer and healthier world not just for ourselves but for our kids and generations to come,” U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said. “This report confirms something I’ve been working hard to support in Washington – the expansion of clean energy and the programs that support it are at the heart of job growth in Illinois and throughout the Midwest. The Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are helping move our country forward and today’s report reiterates these policies are working.”
“Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed significant growth in the Midwest clean energy industry,” said CEO of Wisconsin-based Sun Bear Industries Isaiah Ness. “When I was in college, I had friends move from Wisconsin to California to take jobs in solar. Now, you don’t have to leave the Midwest to find those jobs and opportunities. I started my own company 2 years ago with the goal of bringing the benefits of renewable energy to disadvantaged communities. The unequivocal benefits of cheaper, more resilient power combined with federal investments that bring down the cost of renewable energy even more, have made it possible for my company to expand quickly, hire more workers, and develop renewable energy projects throughout the Midwest. The clean energy industry in the Midwest is strong and positioned to grow rapidly over the coming years and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Nanograf opened a manufacturing facility in Chicago, IL in 2022 and recently announced a new facility opening in Flint, MI.
“At NanoGraf, we’re proud to be creating jobs in our community and providing our employees invaluable experience in cutting-edge clean energy technologies,” said Julia Downing, Ph.D. Senior Technology Development Scientist at Nanograf. “As a 100% U.S.-owned company onshoring the production of advanced silicon anode materials for U.S. military applications, we’re exactly the kind of business the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was designed to support. It’s boosted our workforce, investments, and demand for our products in new industries.”
Nationally, U.S. clean energy jobs outpaced overall economy wide job growth by 200 percent, adding almost 150,000 jobs for a total of 3.46 million.
For a copy of the Clean Jobs Midwest 2024 report to dive deeper into the data including subsector data such as solar and electric vehicle jobs and explore jobs down to the state, county, and metro levels, visit https://www.cleanjobsmidwest.com/.
info@ilcleanjobs.org