A report released this week by the Maine Department of Energy Resources finds that the clean energy sector added $3 billion to the state’s economy in 2024, and grew at the fastest rate of any New England state over a four-year period.
The independent analysis, by California-based BW Research, also found that clean energy jobs grew three times faster than the state’s overall workforce and outpaced national employment growth in the sector.
The study reported there were 16,171 clean energy workers in Maine, employed in energy efficiency, power generation, transportation, grid, storage and fuels. Of those sectors, the largest was energy efficiency, which accounted for nearly 9,500 jobs; close to two-thirds of Maine’s clean energy workforce.
Energy efficiency jobs include heat pump installation and maintenance, weatherization services and traditional HVAC. Jobs in transmission, distribution and power generation have also grown in recent years.
“Investments in energy efficiency and clean energy make Maine more energy secure by reducing our exposure to volatile global energy markets while creating good-paying jobs and career opportunities for Maine people,” said Dan Burgess, acting commissioner of the Maine Department of Energy Resources.
In 2023, the department launched the Clean Energy Partnership through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan. The partnership is a workforce and innovation initiative that collaborates with other state agencies, employers, schools and colleges, and workforce training organizations to expand employment opportunities in the sector.
In January, the department announced $1.2 million in grants to three organizations to support energy efficiency workforce training. The programs will expand Maine’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning workforce, serving as many as 1,200 participants and 60 local businesses.
The department plans to launch this spring the Maine Clean Energy Internship Program with the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, to provide opportunities for paid work experience. The program follows a successful pilot, which placed 60 interns in roles with solar, heat pump, and weatherization contractors, nonprofits, engineering and consulting firms.
Since 2022, the department has awarded over $8 million in grants through the partnership to support clean energy workforce development and innovation programs to attract new workers, provide career training, and support small and startup businesses in cleantech.
DOER will host a public webinar to review the results of the report with its authors, on April 9. Attendees can register on the department’s website.
