Good news about clean energy jobs for communities of color
More than 111,700 new clean energy jobs have been brought to communities of color since last year when the landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) became law. As part of the Biden administration’s clean energy plan, one of the largest such investments in the nation’s history, 272 projects accounting for more than 170,600 clean energy jobs have been announced by clean energy companies.
New York’s Black workers, along with those in South Carolina, Michigan, Georgia, and Tennessee, are included in 124 new clean energy projects—spurring $53.52 billion in investment and 58,473 new clean energy jobs.
What remains unclear is the extent to which the various companies involved in the projects will diversify their workforces. According to one report, 61% of clean energy workers across America are white non-Hispanics. African American and Hispanic/Latino workers are more poorly represented in clean energy than they are across the rest of the economy. The report notes that Black people comprise “8% of the clean energy workforce,” compared with 13% economy-wide.
It is certainly good news that 66% of new clean energy jobs, and 74% of projects are located in communities of color across the United States, but location is no guarantee that people of color will actually get these jobs. More information is needed in terms of what companies are involved in the projects and what compliance measures are in effect to ensure more diversity. Moreover, New York is listed among the top five states with new jobs in Black/African American communities, registering 3,415 jobs and $518 million in investments—numbers below Tennessee in jobs but with a larger investment number.
There is no disputing the Biden administration’s step in the right direction when it comes to helping disadvantaged communities. But more and larger steps are necessary to improve the disparity that exists in clean energy and the broader economy.
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