Governor announces third straight year of double-digit job growth in clean energy industry

Gov. Deval Patrick announced that the Massachusetts clean energy sector saw double-digit job growth for the third consecutive year and now employs more than 88,000 workers in the Commonwealth.

The 2014 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report, released on Monday at the Boston Green Academy in Brighton, shows that the clean energy sector has grown by nearly 50 percent since 2010 and now includes 88,372 employees and 5,985 businesses. From July 2013 to July 2014, clean energy jobs in Massachusetts grew by 10.5 percent.

“We have long believed that a strong commitment to investing in clean energy would not only provide significant environmental benefits, but would also serve as an economic catalyst in the Commonwealth,” Patrick said. “This sustained job growth proves our strategy is working and working well.”

The Massachusetts clean energy sector is now a $10 billion industry, responsible for 2.5 percent of Gross State Product. Employers are optimistic, predicting a 13.3 percent jump in clean energy employment over the next year, with clean energy employment expected to surpass 100,000 in early 2015.

“The Patrick Administration’s framework and focus on clean energy as an economic driver have positioned the Commonwealth for sustained growth for years to come,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett.

“The clean energy industry is no longer a niche sector of the Massachusetts economy,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Alicia Barton.