Jobs in Renewable Energy

In the U.S., renewables provided 15 percent of the energy generated in 2016 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Hydropower accounted for 6.5 percent of the U.S. electricity generation; wind power provided 5.6 percent; biomass provided 1.5 percent; and solar and geothermal accounted for 0.9 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

In Oregon, 68 percent of electricity was generated from renewable resources in 2015, mainly hydroelectric power plants. In 2016, there were about 1,800 jobs in the renewable energy sector in Oregon. This includes establishments that are primarily engaged in operating hydropower, geothermal, biomass, wind, and other electric power generation facilities. It excludes establishments that build renewable energy power facilities, and manufacture and install renewable energy technologies. Nearly three out of four jobs in renewables were in the government, the majority being in the Bonneville Power Administration. Oregon’s hydropower facilities provided 84 percent of the jobs (1,521). Other renewables provided 296 jobs. 

The average wage in the sector was $100,468 in 2016. Common jobs in the renewable energy sector include power plant operators; electrical power-line installers and repairers; power distributors and dispatchers; wind turbine service technicians; solar photovoltaic installers; electricians; electrical engineers; environmental engineers; and financial analysts. In Oregon, these occupations have hourly median wages that range from $19.47 for solar photovoltaic installers to $45.33 for power distributors and dispatchers. 

Read the full article "Jobs in Renewable Energy" by Economist Felicia Bechtoldt and "Careers in Solar Power Manufacturing and Installation" by Economist Anna Johnson.