Hello partners and Happy Black History Month!
I am excited for another opportunity to celebrate this month and to share experiences with you all. Over the years, in the spirit of Black History month, we have celebrated African American individuals that have greatly impacted our communities and also talked about the importance of celebrating Black History Month. Last year’s article talked about why representation matters and why it is important for us to tell our own story. This year, I would like to expand upon one of the ideas initially touched upon in last year’s article and explore its impact on all of our futures.
This topic is deeply rooted in the Nations’s efforts to propel itself into a clean energy economy. By almost any measure, this is a positive move. However, the new clean energy economy is beginning to show signs it may not be as beneficial for some groups as it is for others.
Allow me to explain, we know that communities of color are more likely to suffer the adverse effects of energy generation. For example, as much as 68% of the African American population lives within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant (Patterson). This contributes to many adverse health outcomes. However, studies show that the clean energy economy is not as diverse as the communities it seeks to serve. I am referring, specifically, to the clean energy economy’s workforce.
For example, just 14% of executive-level positions across all industries is occupied by a person of color, just one in 25 of those positions is held by a woman of color, and there is just one CEO of a major energy company that is an African American woman (Webber). Furthermore, African American people make up roughly 13% of the population as well as the workforce. However, when we look at the workforce as a whole, we find that African American people make up just 10% of all energy jobs and only 8% of jobs in renewable energy generation and fuels, energy efficiency, grid modernization, clean vehicle manufacturing and similar industries (Rives). This information is taken from the 2021 U.S. Energy and Employment Report.
Personally, I can see the underrepresentation in the workforce because I live and work in it each day. It is not uncommon to be the only African American woman in a room full of people at an energy conference.
So, why is it important to have diversity in the clean energy economy? Let’s take a look at the types of jobs that the clean energy economy has to offer. These jobs tend to be higher earning than other jobs. For example, clean energy related jobs earn an average of 25% more than the national median hourly rate (Rives). This means these jobs offer good opportunities, but they are overwhelmingly held by white men.
In addition to the opportunity these jobs offer, we must also look at the impact these jobs have on communities. For this reason, it is imperative that the people holding these positions represent the communities they serve. If the energy workforce was more representative of the communities it serves, it is more likely we will see more positive change in the policies it seeks to implement as well as the environmental implications for communities of color. This is not to advocate for less qualified individuals but for more outreach and education on the opportunities that are available and why they are so important.
Happy Black History month!
Webber, Michael E. “Racial Disparities in the Workforce Harm the Energy Industry.” ASME, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 14 July 2020, www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/energy-blog-the-color-of-energy.
Patterson, Jacqui, et al. “Just Energy Policies: Reducing Pollution and Creating Jobs.” Just Energy Policies: Reducing Pollution and Creating Jobs EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, 2014, www.naacp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Just-Energy-Policies-Compendium-EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY_NAACP.pdf.
Rives, Karin. “Groups Claim America’s Clean Energy Sector Has a ‘Diversity Problem.’” S&P Global Market Intelligence, S&P Global, 10 Sept. 2021, www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/groups-claim-america-s-clean-energy-sector-has-a-diversity-problem-66537369#:~:text=Black%20people%20make%20up%2013,vehicle%20manufacturing%20and%20similar%20industries.