Employment in electric power generation falls more than 100,000 since 2001

[mahatmakanejeeves]

From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics twitter feed

Employment in electric power generation falls more than 100,000 since 2001

October 15, 2015

Employment in electric power generation fell from 278,387 in 2001 to 160,802 in 2014. That 42-percent decline resulted in part from energy efficiency improvements and growth in renewable sources, such as wind and solar. More than half the jobs lost were in hydroelectric power generation; employment in this industry fell from 69,346 in 2001 to 5,821 in 2014.

Employment in fossil fuel power generation, which includes electricity from coal and natural gas power plants, fell 54,756 from 2001 to 2014. In 2014, employment in nuclear power remained above the 2001 level.

Since 2011, employment rose in wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Among those industries, solar experienced the largest job gain, from 533 in 2011 to 1,631 in 2014. While the rate of job growth in wind power was slower than solar, employment in wind power was more than double that of solar in 2014.

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. For more information about employment and wages in electric power generation and other industries, see the QCEW data viewer tool.

[elleng]

1. OK, we need a new approach,

and 'prizes' go to those who figure it out.

[tech3149]

2. Does it sound too stupid to suggest

that those losing their jobs in the energy industry be employed by the renewable energy industry?
FFS this does not have to be a one or the other situation. A transition to renewable energy could be an economic boon and employ more people than the traditional energy industries.

[elleng]

3. That's the answer, NOTHING stupid,

and that's the/an approach planned by Martin O'Malley.
https://martinomalley.com/climate/