JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – Missouri’s clean energy and clean vehicle companies added jobs at four times the rate of job growth across all the state’s economic sectors.

On Thursday, a non-partisan group of business leaders focusing on energy sustainability, called Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), released its 2024 Clean Jobs Report for the Midwest in partnership with Evergreen Climate Innovations.

The data was compiled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

The report defines “clean jobs” as those in the clean energy sector, such as solar energy, wind energy, combined heat and power, bioenergy, non-woody biomass, low-impact hydropower, hydrokinetic and wave energy, and geothermal energy. Additionally, the report includes jobs manufacturing products that use clean energy, such as electric or hybrid vehicles, energy-efficient appliances, low-energy lighting, efficient HVAC, etc.

In Missouri, clean energy and clean vehicle companies added more than 2,700 jobs in 2023, representing a 5% increase over the previous year. Of those, 436 were new manufacturing jobs and 1,286 were new jobs in clean vehicles.

As of the report’s publication, the state employs roughly 59,000 workers in clean jobs: 40,500 jobs in energy efficiency, 9,360 in clean vehicles, and 6,247 in renewable energy.

Missouri ranks 22nd in the U.S. for clean energy jobs.

“The historic policies and incentives created by the IRA are powering an American economic revolution across our energy industry, and workers and businesses across the Midwest are benefiting,” said Micaela Preskill, Director of State Advocacy for E2. “This report clearly shows clean energy is driving significant employment gains and outpacing traditional energy sectors, demonstrating the importance of data-driven policy making to create jobs where they are needed most.”

Copyright 2024 KFVS. All rights reserved.