Clean energy jobs have continued to plug into Missouri's workforce with thousands of new jobs created in the sector last year, a new report states.
Clean Jobs Midwest 2022, the latest iteration of an annual report that examines the growth of the clean energy sector across 12 states in the Midwest, found the sector added 2,800 new employees in the Show-Me State by the end of 2021, bringing the sector up to 54,397 workers in Missouri. That 5.5 percent growth nearly doubled the growth rate of the overall economy, according to the report.
The report is an annual effort by business groups Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) and the newly-renamed Evergreen Climate Innovations. The report has been published annually since 2016.
Steady growth in the clean energy sector has been a persistent theme of the study during the years, despite a substantial decline in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic threw many industries into flux. Around 57 percent of the clean energy jobs lost amid the pandemic have been recovered in Missouri, according to the report.
The report points to governmental responses to the pandemic and related fallout as a boon for the industry. Federal funding, like that earmarked by the Inflation Reduction Act, could lead to further growth as states and Washington work together on clean energy policy and infrastructure.
"With the IRA investing billions into the clean energy sector in the coming years, these jobs are set to grow at an unprecedented rate," E2 Midwest Advocate Micaela Preskill said in a statement. "Missouri stands to benefit as the industry builds off its strong foundation with clean energy workers calling home in every corner of the Midwest. With policies that support strong wages, equity, and workforce training, a transformation to a cleaner economy that boosts the state's entire economy is within reach."
The report said the act, as well as other investments from last year's federal infrastructure package and the CHIPS and Science Act would continue opening doors for further expansion in Missouri.
The report broke down these increases in the industry by individual sector, with energy efficiency workers making up the bulk of the industry's Missouri representation at more than 71 percent. Those 38,689 workers install or manufacture efficient lighting, HVAC and air conditioning systems, or install advanced building materials in businesses or homes.
Electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids are becoming more prominent in the market and in Missouri, while the sector devoted to manufacturing and supporting them is sparking its own growth. Advanced transportation jobs increased by 25 percent in the state by the end of 2021, with 1,470 new jobs bringing the sector's total footprint to 7,430 workers.
Solar energy jobs also surged by nearly 10 percent, according to the report, bringing the sector up to 3,153 workers in Missouri. Renewable energy as a whole grew to 5,497 workers, while grid and storage jobs employed 1,880 and around 900 Missourians work in the clean fuels sector.
The study also breaks down the value chain, or the different roles that go into producing clean energy. Per the report, the bulk of Missouri's clean energy jobs -- 56.1 percent -- are in construction, with manufacturing jobs making up 19.2 percent of the market. Professional services employees made up nearly 14 percent of the state's clean energy workforce, while trade jobs made up 6 percent, agriculture and forestry made up 1.3 percent and utilities made up a mere 0.1 percent of the workforce.
The industry also accounts for more than 20 percent of all construction jobs and 4 percent of manufacturing jobs in Missouri, according to the report.
Small businesses with 20 or fewer employees were the driving contributor to the state's clean energy industry, employing 68 percent of the state's clean energy workers. Around 10 percent of the industry's workforce are veterans.
The state's numbers reflect growth for the region as a whole. It grew across the Midwest by 5.4 percent with 714,323 new jobs and around 55 percent of the jobs lost amid the pandemic recovered. Individual sectors made up similar percentages on the regional level compared to the state level, while small businesses made up 69 percent of the region's clean energy workforce and 11 percent of workers employed by the industry were veterans.
The study was based on data from the U.S. Department of Energy's 2021 U.S. Energy Employment Report.
The Missouri report is available online at cleanjobsmidwest.com/state/missouri. The full report on the Midwest region is available at cleanjobsmidwest.com.