ONE new exhibition shows that Michigan is leading it Midwestern 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 those sectors.
The industry grew by nearly 5 percent in Michigan in 2022, adding more than 5,000 new jobs, the report said.
Net transportation jobs, including electric vehicle jobs, grew faster at 14 percent.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II said during a Press conference that the report is good news. “This report confirms that we are on the right track and that we must continue to do more. Michigan will be a leader in this space for decades to come,” Gilchrist said.
Gilchrist also said 75 percent 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 industry growth is expected to continue in the state, especially as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's MI plan for a healthy climate keeps moving forward: Last week the Michigan Senate approved Whitmer's 2040 deadline for state-regulated utilities in the clean energy transition.
“We have no qualms at Michigan when it comes to ambition. we have solved big problems on a global scale in the past and we can do so in the future,” Gilchrist said.
