As presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump prepare to face off in their first debate Tuesday night, voters will be tuning in for clarity on their plans to tackle issues from the economy to inflation and job growth.
One area facing particular uncertainty after the election is clean energy, which has received a boost from the Biden administration but has faced skepticism from Trump.
Climate change and the move toward more sustainable energy have boosted job growth in the industry in recent years, thanks in part to funding from the Inflation Reduction and Chips and Science Act. Recent data from the Department of Energy showed that clean energy employment grew by 142,000 jobs last year, accounting for more than half of all new energy jobs.
The rate was more than double the growth rate for the rest of the energy sector and the overall US economy, according to the new 2024 US Energy and Jobs Report.
Since the implementation of the IRA and the CHIPS and Science Act, there is more “long-term certainty” for jobs related to energy efficiency, renewable energy and climate resilience, the nonprofit Environmental and Energy Study Institute said. The IRA is projected to create more than 300,000 jobs annually in the construction of new energy projects and about 100,000 permanent jobs each year, according to EESI.
While job growth in the industry faces uncertainty after the election, industry watchers say the future of energy production and consumption is always changing.
“Energy systems have been in transition for decades — they’re always in transition, they’re always in a state of flux,” said Daniel Bresette, president of EESI on the impact of the upcoming election.
Ameresco, which integrates clean technology and develops, owns and operates renewable energy projects, is moving forward with hiring plans regardless of the outcome of the election. It will increase its hiring by 300 employees in the US and Europe this year, in roles ranging from engineers to project managers, developers, analysts and more. Ameresco provides efficient energy solutions for customers ranging from federal and state governments to colleges and hospitals.
“Everybody needs energy no matter what, no matter who’s in the White House. So the driver will increase that need for more secure energy sources, for cheaper energy sources and for cleaner energy sources,” Nicole Bulgarino, executive vice president and general director of federated and utility solutions at Ameresco.
The company is also looking to Gen Z to fill the jobs, as fewer applicants come through trade and vocational schools and younger workers have shown interest in climate-friendly opportunities. Ameresco, which offers tuition reimbursement and mentoring programs, has had success recruiting recent college graduates and investing in their education.
Caroline Leilani Stevenson, a 22-year-old electrical engineering associate at Ameresco, is part of the Gen Z hiring push. Stevenson interned with Ameresco and returned full-time after graduation, currently working on projects with the Department of Defense.
He was able to work on a solar project in Honolulu, which was especially important as Stevenson grew up on Maui. Like others in her generation, the idea of working toward more sustainable energy solutions is 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 and suburban New York or the energy use of a hospital is not the same as a large data center… It’s great to be able to design something for a specific location and you make a difference that way Be able to see and know that the power from these lines is going somewhere and will ultimately improve life in general.
As Harris and Trump prepare to discuss their policies, neither candidate has so far presented a comprehensive plan on energy and climate change, leading to uncertainty for the industry. But their experiences in the White House can help inform possible paths.
Harris was a key part of the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, giving the tiebreaker to pass the bill as vice president to President Joe Biden. She also supported the Green New Deal while serving in the Senate, but has moved away from some of her earlier positions that leaned more toward the progressive left. Harris also said during CNN interview that she would not ban fracking, a position she had taken in her previous run for the White House.
Meanwhile, Trump promised to make energy cheaper and focused on US oil drilling. He also rolled back major climate policies and said he would to void unused IRA dollars if elected. He called the Green New Deal a “Green New Scam” at an event at the Economic Club of New York last week.
One thing is certain: industry analysts are projecting the need for a significant increase in energy, regardless of November’s outcome.
“There is a lot of news, especially in the area of electricity, a lot of new demand, [from] the transport sector, e-mobility, data centers, artificial intelligence. All of that adds up to a lot of demand for electricity,” Bresette said. “It’s almost hard to imagine how much more energy we’ll need in the future.”
