Clean energy industry sheds 27,000 jobs in May

More than 27,000 U.S. clean energy jobs were lost in May, bringing the total jobs lost since the start of the pandemic past 620,000, according to a new analysis. 

The report noted that the 620,590 jobs since march represent more than 18 percent of the country’s clean energy workforce. 

The rate of job losses declined significantly, since the last report, however, researchers expressed concerns that some jobs might be being supported through Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. 

“The expiration of the employment window of PPP may result in a fresh round of layoffs in clean energy if there is no further intervention,” the analysis said. 

Energy efficiency, the largest clean energy sector, also lost a greater number of jobs than other parts of the energy sector, losing 18,900 jobs. Nearly y 4,300 jobs in renewable electric power generation were also lost. 

The report was released Monday by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), E4TheFuture, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and BW Research. 

“It will be very tough for clean energy to make up these continuing job losses without support from Congress. Lawmakers must act now. If they do, we can get hundreds of thousands of these workers back on the job today and build a better, cleaner, more equitable economy for tomorrow,” said Bob Keefe, E2’s executive director, in a statement.

The analysis was released the same day that a group of 180 House lawmakers wrote a letter calling for policies such as allowing tax credits to be received as direct payments and a delay to a phase-down of renewable energy tax incentives in order to boost the industry.