At least in terms of the job market, 2021 was a good year for renewable energy. A report released earlier this week by the Department of Energy found that nearly every part of the renewable energy sector added jobs last year. And despite a rise in fossil fuel production, the number of oil and gas-related jobs actually declined — with some industry workforces shrinking by as much as 12 percent. 

Overall, jobs in the energy sector grew by about 4 percent, or about 300,000 jobs. But job gains in renewable energy markets were so strong that they effectively masked losses from several fossil fuel industries; the solar industry added tens of thousands of workers while fossil fuel industries specializing in petroleum and coal hemorrhaged nearly 40,000 workers.

Last year’s uptick in renewable energy job growth was dominated by the electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle markets; electric vehicle manufacturers saw their workforces swell by over 26 percent in 2021. Hybrid vehicle companies followed closely behind, with job increases at about 20 […]