PROVIDENCE, RI- Governor Gina M. Raimondo released the 2018 Rhode Island Clean Energy Industry report today, which showed that clean energy employment in the Ocean State has grown by a remarkable 72 percent since 2014 and resulted in 6,650 new jobs across the state. The clean energy sector now counts more than 15,800 green jobs in total.
"I'm thrilled that we're creating thousands of exciting jobs in green energy, but we're just getting started," said Governor Raimondo. "This spring, we selected Deepwater Wind to build an offshore wind farm big enough to power half the homes in Rhode Island. This project alone will create over one thousand jobs, with a range from construction to engineering to manufacturing positions. Our work to aggressively pursue alternative energy and position ourselves as a leader in this industry will create thousands more jobs in the years to come."
"Today, we are about one-third of the way toward reaching the Governor's 1,000 megawatt clean energy goal," said State Energy Commissioner Carol Grant. "More Rhode Island residents, business owners and organizations are choosing clean energy. These projects lead not only to direct construction jobs, but also to numerous supporting roles including engineering, research and professional services. Energy efficiency is our largest sector and continues to grow as more Rhode Islanders make the switch to energy-saving products. This is great news for both the environment and our economy."
"With the Governor's recent offshore wind announcement, Rhode Island is emerging as a clean energy leader," said Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor. "This will not only help our state attract new jobs, but will sustainably supply our state with energy for generations to come."
The report also mentions that: - Employment climbed by just under four percent between 2017 and 2018, as the energy sector continues to grow at a faster pace than the state's overall workforce; - Energy efficiency remains the largest portion of the state's clean energy employment. It accounts for about 59 percent of all clean energy jobs, or over 9,300 workers; - This year, Rhode Island's clean energy economy showed the largest employment growth in engineering, research and professional services.
Download the 2018 Clean Energy Industry Report -- produced in collaboration with BW Research Partnership -- at http://www.energy.ri.gov/cleanjobs/.
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