Even as President Donald Trump repeals environmental “job-killing” regulations and promises to double down on fossil fuels, jobs in sustainability-related fields rank near the top of the list for fastest-growing professions in the United States. Solar and wind-industry jobs are growing at a rate of about 20 percent per year — 12 times faster than the general economy.
Solar power currently employs more than twice as many people as the coal industry, and entry-level jobs pay a much higher wage than average. There’s a solid argument that coal workers could be retained to work in solar jobs. Given aging coal plants and the long, steady decline of the industry, putting coal miners to work in less-hazardous jobs seems both practical and appealing.
Entrepreneurs can find huge opportunities in the rapidly-changing energy industry. In an interview with Business Insider, EDF Climate Corps program director Liz Delaney dropped a juicy tidbit of information about the nature of green energy jobs: Of the 2.2 million Americans who work in energy efficiency jobs, 70 percent are employed by companies with 10 or fewer employees.
Many big businesses might be ignoring green energy because it will lead to lower oil profits in the long run. Still, with rising awareness, falling prices and more interest, it’s a great time to get into the industry — or invent the next thing destined to take the industry by storm.
Recycling is ripe for disruption.
Clean energy isn’t the only sector in rapid expansion….