Summary:

Nevada led the nation in clean energy job growth in 2018, according to a report by Environmental Entrepreneurs, which found that 8,000 new positions were created last year, a 32% jump.

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Main Article:

While the Nevada Legislation debates a bill that would mandate the state gets half of its electricity from renewable sources, including solar power, a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) reports a tremendous growth in clean energy jobs in the state.

The study by the national, nonpartisan business group found that 8,000 new clean energy jobs were created in Nevada in 2018, a 32.4% growth; more than 32,000 workers across all 17 counties in the state work in this field. 

According to the 2019 Clean Jobs Nevada analysis these figures make the state no. 1 in clean energy job growth.

The biggest benefactor being Storey County near Reno, home to Tesla’s Gigafactory battery plant. More than 8,100 Nevadans now work in clean energy in Storey County – giving it the highest density of clean energy jobs in the country, with 2,300 jobs per 1,000 employable residents.

Nevada’s wider clean economy is now dominated by three major industries within the broader sector— energy efficiency (11,000 jobs), solar (9,700 jobs), and energy storage (8,300 jobs).

Combined, these industries account for 91 percent of all Nevada’s clean energy jobs. The number of solar jobs would have been even higher if the data was collected today, because it would more fully reflect demand increases spurred by the 2017 restoration of net metering.

Nevada job sector toplines 

Energy Efficiency – 11,155 obs

Renewable Energy – 10,864 jobs

Energy Storage – 8,322 jobs

Solar Energy – 9,777 jobs

Clean Vehicles – 1,298 jobs

Grid Modernization – 441 jobs

ALL Clean Energy Sectors – 32,211 jobs

Other highlights of the study:

Storey County is home to more than two jobs per every employable resident

Nevada ranks 3rd among all U.S. states for jobs in energy storage

lean energy employs 5X more Nevadans than fossil fuels

77 percent of jobs are in the construction and manufacturing sectors

The Las Vegas Valley and Reno-Sparks metro areas account for 92 percent of Nevada’s clean jobs

All 17 counties in Nevada are home to jobs in clean energy

Nearly 11,000 Nevadans work in renewable energy

Nevada’s 413 geothermal jobs rank in the top 10 nationally

Churchill, Douglas, and Lincoln counties all support more than 20 clean energy jobs per 1000 employable residents

1,300 Nevadans work in non-sales positions involving hybrid and electric vehicles and clean fuels