As presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump prepare to square off in their first debate Tuesday night, voters will be watching for clarity on their plans to address issues like the economy, inflation and job growth.
One sector facing particular uncertainty post-election is clean energy, which received a boost from the Biden administration but faced skepticism from Trump.
Climate change and the trend toward more sustainable energy have fueled job growth in the sector in recent years, thanks in part to funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips and Science Act. Recent data from the Department of Energy showed that clean energy employment increased by 142,000 jobs last year, accounting for more than half of new jobs in the energy sector.
The rate was more than double the growth of the rest of the energy sector and the U.S. economy as a whole, according to the recently released U.S. Energy and Jobs Report 2024.
Since the implementation of the IRA and the CHIPS and Science Act, there has been more “long-term certainty” for jobs related to energy efficiency, renewable energy and climate resilience, said the Institute for Environmental and Energy Studies, a nonprofit organization. The IRA is projected to create more than 300,000 jobs annually for the construction of new energy projects and about 100,000 permanent jobs each year, according to EESI.
While job growth in the sector faces uncertainty following the election, industry observers say the future of energy production and consumption is ever-changing.
“Energy systems have been in transition for decades; they're always in transition, they're always in a state of flux,” said EESI President Daniel Bresette on the impact of the upcoming election.
Ameresco, which integrates clean technology and develops, owns and operates renewable energy projects, is moving ahead with its hiring plans regardless of the election outcome. It will increase its hiring by 300 workers in the United States and Europe this year, in positions ranging from engineers to project managers, developers, analysts and more. Ameresco provides energy-efficient solutions for clients ranging from federal and state governments to universities and hospitals.
“Everyone needs energy, no matter who is in the White House. So the driving factor is the increased need for safer, cheaper and cleaner energy sources,” said Nicole Bulgarino, executive vice president and general manager of federal and utility solutions at Ameresco.
The company is also looking to Gen Z to fill jobs as fewer candidates are making it to vocational and trade schools and younger workers have shown interest in environmentally friendly opportunities. Ameresco, which offers tuition reimbursement and mentoring programs, said it has had success recruiting recent college graduates and investing in their training.
Caroline Leilani Stevenson, a 22-year-old associate electrical engineer at Ameresco, is part of the Gen Z hiring effort. Stevenson interned at Ameresco and returned full-time after graduation, now working on projects with the Department of Defense.
He was able to work on a solar energy project in Honolulu, which was particularly meaningful since he grew up in Maui. Like others of his generation, he found the idea of working toward more sustainable energy solutions appealing.
“I wanted to make an impact and build something really big,” he said. “The energy needs of a large naval base are not the same as a small elementary school in the suburbs of New York, or the energy consumption of a hospital is not the same as a large data center… It's great to be able to design something for a specific site and make a difference in that way. To be able to see and know that the energy from these lines is going somewhere and that over time it will improve life in general.”
As Harris and Trump prepare to debate their policies, neither candidate has yet presented a comprehensive plan on energy and climate change, creating uncertainty in the sector. But their experiences in the White House may help guide possible paths forward.
Harris was a key part of the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, as she cast the deciding vote to pass the bill as President Joe Biden's vice president. She also backed the Green New Deal while serving in the Senate, but backed away from some of her previous stances that leaned more toward the progressive left. Harris also said during an interview with CNN that she would not ban fracking, a position she had taken in her previous run for the White House.
Trump, meanwhile, has promised to make energy cheaper and has focused on U.S. oil drilling. He has also backtracked on major climate policies and said he would rescind unspent IRA dollars if elected. Last week, at an event at the Economic Club of New York, he called the Green New Deal the “New Green Scam.”
One thing is certain: Industry analysts project that energy needs will rise significantly, regardless of the outcome of November.
“There are many new developments, especially in the electrical sector, a lot of new demand, [from] “The transportation sector, electrification, data centers, artificial intelligence… All of that adds up to a huge demand for electricity,” Bresette said. “It's almost hard to imagine how much more energy we're going to need in the future.”
