At 83,000 jobs, the state’s advanced energy industry employs four times more Hoosiers than auto manufacturing.
INDIANAPOLIS, August 17, 2021 – Indiana Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) released its Indiana jobs fact sheet, demonstrating the advanced energy industry’s economic promise across the state. Like all industries in Indiana, COVID-19 impacted advanced energy employment in the state, but the industry still supported a workforce of more than 83,300 at the end of 2020, with employers expecting strong job growth this year.
“In spite of economic downturns nationwide, advanced energy jobs in Indiana should see a strong rebound in 2021,” said Caryl Auslander, director at Indiana AEE. “The advanced energy industry has proven it is ready to lead our post-COVID recovery, with employers projecting 6 percent job growth for the state. Not only do these jobs offer quality employment for Hoosiers, they spur added cost savings for consumers and create overall economic growth for our state.”
The fact sheet shows Indiana’s wind and electric vehicles sectors experienced growth in 2020, at 6 percent and 2 percent respectively, despite broader employment setbacks from the pandemic. For comparison, advanced energy companies now employ four times more Hoosiers than the state’s auto manufacturing industry.
With the 21st Century Energy Task Force set to reconvene this week, Indiana AEE’s fact sheet provides a valuable reference for overall industry employment as state policymakers look to evaluate existing and develop future energy policies. The Task Force is charged by the Indiana legislature to address several topics over the coming months that are important for continued advanced energy growth in Indiana, including:
- Building a regulatory environment that captures the full value of DERs (distributed energy resources) under FERC Order 2222
- Increasing energy efficiency's role in meeting Indiana's power needs
- Rate reform to give customers more control over electricity costs
- Securitization to protect ratepayers from the costs of retiring old, inefficient power plants
- Energy investment zones for renewable energy development
Data for the Indiana Employment Fact Sheet is derived from the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2021 Energy and Employment Report, collected and analyzed by BW Research Partnership, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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