In 2019, clean energy employed 61,800 Minnesotans. COVID-19 has dramatically shifted this number, with the latest numbers showing over 11,000 jobs lost in the clean energy sector. Unfortunately, these job losses have erased several years of industry gains. Despite this, the clean energy industry continues to serve our communities, care for employees, and innovate new solutions to address the crisis.
Minnesota’s clean energy industry will play a vital role in our state’s economic recovery because of its size, reach and potential for growth. Restoring and increasing jobs in this industry is a proven way to boost the economy and will be critical as policymakers work to get Minnesotans on their feet again.
There is a lot changing in Minnesota’s clean energy sector. You’ll find ‘need to know’ information on this page and for comprehensive analysis of Minnesota’s clean energy jobs we invite you to visit www.cleanjobsmidwest.com.
Clean energy can help restart Minnesota’s economy. To be part of the change, stay connected with us by following us on social media and signing up for our newsletter.
Clean Jobs Midwest - MN Summary PDF
work in energy efficiency – which means 47,114 jobs in MN.
In 2019, Minnesota saw the third-largest number of clean energy jobs gained in the Midwest.
1 in 3 clean energy jobs are located in Greater MN, with 1 in 5 clean energy jobs being located in rural communities.
People working in clean energy have jobs in several industries. They may work in energy efficiency, manufacturing energy efficient windows and doors, or in construction working to retrofit buildings and save people money with efficient lighting or HVAC systems.
Clean energy jobs also include workers who are employed in industries that generate power from wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal, and low-impact hydro technologies.
Minnesotans who build and develop hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, as well as those who develop clean fuels like biodiesel and non-corn ethanol from grasses or agricultural waste are also part of the clean energy sector.
In Minnesota, a growing sector of clean energy jobs are focused on advanced grid technologies that store energy on the grid and manage the distribution of energy to customers. People working in this sector are helping to modernize our electric grid and build a more efficient and resilient electric grid.
Watch MN clean energy worker storiesWe’re not just sitting on our hands, we’re out there trying to make a difference and it feels good.
Energy efficiency jobs continue to be the largest sector of clean energy employment in Minnesota with 3 out of every 4 clean energy jobs in state.
Minnesota’s second-largest sector of clean energy jobs is renewable energy, which employs more than 7,900 workers. These jobs have historically been some of the fastest-growing; in fact solar installer is the fastest-growing jobs in Minnesota according to Bureau of Labor statistics data.
Minnesota’s clean energy sector has consistently added jobs at a faster rate than overall statewide job growth. Over the past several years; before the crisis hit, clean energy employers projected 7 percent growth in 2020 — or adding more than 4,500 new jobs. In 2019, Minnesota saw the third-largest number of clean energy jobs gained in the Midwest.
Renewable generation grew 2.3 percent and this year the wind subsector added 129 more jobs. Wind jobs grew nearly 6 percent in 2019 as several new wind projects were completed and previously built projects were repowered.
Energy efficiency grew 2 percent; lighting grew 1.7 percent and advanced materials and traditional HVAC led growth for the energy efficiency subsector with 6 percent and 4.3 percent respectively.
The smart grid and energy storage sector experienced 5 percent growth in 2019. As costs decline for energy storage, and Minnesota’s utilities explore ways to modernize and strengthen the reliability of the electrical grid, there are more opportunities for cost-effectively using these technologies.
Minnesota also saw a 10 percent growth in people working in ‘other biofuels,’ leading the Midwest.
Clean energy jobs can also be categorized by the role they play in the value chain. Each value chain category captures jobs from multiple clean energy sectors. For example, construction jobs can include energy efficiency jobs and renewable energy jobs.
Just slightly behind North Dakota, Minnesota has the second largest percentage of clean energy jobs in construction within the Midwest region.
Jobs in clean energy are located in communities across the state. In fact, 1 in 3 clean energy jobs are located in Greater Minnesota, with 1 in 5 clean energy jobs being located in rural communities.
Small businesses are the backbone of the industry, 70 percent of clean energy businesses have fewer than 20 employees.
The metro areas with the largest number of clean energy jobs are Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Cloud, and Duluth. Take a look at this map to see where clean energy jobs are located by county, district, and metro area.
Meet some of the Minnesotans working in clean energy in our Names Behind the Numbers series.
Compared to 2019 statewide workforce demographics, Minnesota’s clean energy industry was slightly more racially and ethnically diverse. However, the industry lagged Minnesota’s overall workforce in a few demographic areas. In particular, females made up 50 percent of Minnesota’s overall workforce, but only 27 percent of the state’s clean energy workforce.
The Clean Jobs Midwest report does not provide wage data or race and gender breakdowns for manager-level and executive positions, though that is important data for analyzing diversity, equity and inclusion.
Currently, 11 percent of clean energy jobs are filled by veterans– more than twice the representation of veterans in the state’s overall workforce. The large ratio of veterans transitioning to clean energy jobs is the result of the U.S. Department of Defense’s long-standing commitment to investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency and training programs that prepare veterans for private-sector employment in industries like solar.
At the state level, Minnesota can
At the federal level, lawmakers should keep energy efficiency on track, rev up advanced transportation, boost renewables and invest in energy storage and other cutting edge technologies.
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You can also contact your legislator today to let them know that you support clean energy. The Minnesota Legislature makes it easy to identify who represents you in St. Paul. Click here to identify your legislators and contact them to let them know you support clean energy jobs in Minnesota.
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