Clean-Energy Groups Unite on Social Media Campaign
Rallying behind a U.S. Department of Energy report that showed job growth in the clean-energy sector, industry groups organized the #CleanEnergyJobs campaign to raise awareness about how clean energy creates good jobs and boosts the economy.
More than 3 million workers in the U.S. are employed in the clean-energy sector, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s recent U.S. Energy and Employment Report.
To spotlight this statistic, eight clean-energy groups banned together and organized a one-day social media campaign—#CleanEnergyJobs—on February 22 to raise awareness about the availability of well-paying jobs in the sector.
The organizers included the Advanced Energy Economy, the American Council on Renewable Energy, AJW (which represents energy-service companies), the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Wind Energy Association, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the Energy Storage Association, and the Solar Energy Industries Association.
“People often don’t realize that energy efficiency is such a huge jobs creator,” said Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan in a press release. “It supports about three times as many jobs as the mining industry, and unlike that sector, it is growing and creating good-paying jobs like weatherizing homes and manufacturing high-efficiency appliances or building materials. And the best news is there’s just enormous opportunity to expand this work and create more jobs with smart efficiency policies and incentives.”
The public was encouraged to participate in the #CleanEnergyJobs by doing any of these four things:
- Tweeting about the 3 million-plus U.S. jobs in the industry
- Adding their company to the campaign support website
- Sharing their own photos, videos, and stories with organizers for display on the campaign’s website
- Downloading campaign images, videos, and reports—and then sharing them on personal social media feeds
Energy-sector employees and companies, lobbyist groups, and even senators engaged with the campaign, posting tweets, sharing content, and more.
“The contributions of clean-energy jobs to the country’s economy are significant and expanding,” said Lisa Jacobson, president of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy in a press release. “The trend lines are clear: energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy are creating well-paying jobs and benefitting American consumers, American businesses, and American manufacturers. And that adds up to one conclusion: clean energy wins for America.”
(Handout photo)
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