Clean-Energy Jobs Surpass Oil Drilling for First Time in U.S.
- Green workforce rose 5% worldwide in 2015 to 8.1 million
- Irena expects as many as 24 million in clean energy by 2030
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The number of U.S. jobs in solar energy overtook those in oil and natural gas extraction for the first time last year, helping drive a global surge in employment in the clean-energy business as fossil-fuel companies faltered.
Employment in the U.S. solar business grew 12 times faster than overall job creation, the International Renewable Energy Agency said in a report on Wednesday. About 8.1 million people worldwide had jobs in the clean energy in 2015, up from 7.7 million in 2014, according to the industry group based in Abu Dhabi.