A new report shows that Michigan leads the Midwest region in clean energy jobs and workers. The report by the group E2 — short for Environmental Entrepreneurs — tracked jobs in five clean energy sectors and found that Michigan has nearly 124,000 jobs in these sectors.
The industry grew nearly 5% in Michigan in 2022, with the addition of over 5,000 new jobs, the report said.
Clean transportation jobs, including electric vehicle jobs, grew the fastest at a rate of 14%.
Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II said during a press conference that the report is good news. “This report affirms that we are on the right path, and that we need to continue to do more. Michigan is going to be a leader in this space for decades to come," Gilchrist said.
Gilchrist also said 75% of clean energy businesses in Michigan are small, employing fewer than 20 people, and that small businesses can have some of the biggest impacts on Michigan's economy and environment.
Michigan now ranks fifth in the nation in clean energy jobs, behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida.
Gilchrist said the industry's growth is expected to continue in the state, especially as Governor Gretchen Whitmer's MI Healthy Climate Plan continues to move forward: Last week the Michigan Senate approved Whitmer's 2040 deadline for state-regulated utilities to transition to clean energy.
“We have no hesitation in Michigan when it comes to ambition; we’ve solved big problems on a global scale in the past, and we can do it in the future," Gilchrist said.
