TRENTON — New Jersey stands to gain an average of $1.3 billion in economic activity and 11,000 well-paying jobs annually if the state accelerates efforts to transition to 100% clean energy, fully electrifies its transportation and building infrastructure, and ensures meaningful job standards are in place by 2050, according to studies released today by the Applied Economic Clinic (AEC)…
“With strong labor standards, union support, and adequate training, high-quality clean energy jobs will offer competitive wages and benefits and fewer occupational safety hazards,” said Debra Coyle, Executive Director of the New Jersey Work Environment Council. “We recognize that it will be essential to provide adequate resources for workers caught in the transition to retrain and utilize their valuable skills in this new space.”
If New Jersey embraces more ambitious clean energy policies and strong labor standards, the study found the state’s clean energy transition could generate about 11,000 jobs annually in the offshore wind, energy efficiency and storage, electrification and solar industries between 2025 and 2050. Over this period, cumulative clean energy job gains could be 6.6 times higher than job losses expected from a reduction in gas-fired power plants and oil heating. Ambitious clean energy policies are significant economic drivers compared to the “business as usual” scenario.
“New Jersey’s clean energy transition will lead to meaningful employment opportunities as well as critical environmental and public health improvements. This is especially crucial for environmental justice communities, which have been disproportionately harmed by previous energy policies and often excluded from economic benefits,” said Drew Tompkins, Coordinator of the Jersey Renews Coalition. “Communities throughout the state will also benefit from enhanced grid resilience, lower electric bills, optimized land use and expanded transportation options – all of which help address historic inequities that these communities face while moving us forward in the fight against climate change.”
