Green Car Congress highlighted AEE’s "Electrifying California: Economic Potential of Growing Electric Transportation" report, outlining key findings and policy recommendations. Read excerpts below and the full story here.
A new report commissioned by Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) projects that California’s electric transportation (ET)-related workforce will nearly double by 2024. With an estimated 3,900 ET-related businesses in 2019, California is already the leading state in electric transportation.
The report, “Electrifying California: Economic Potential of Growing Electric Transportation,” was prepared for AEE by leading workforce and economic development research consultant BW Research Partnership.
Key findings include:
- California is the leading state for this sector, with jobs found in 55 of its 58 counties…
- The ET workforce is projected to see strong growth, nearly doubling the number of workers by 2024…
- ET activity accounted for $4.5 billion in Gross State Product (GSP)…
- A range of occupations and skill sets are needed for ET work in California. The design and production of both software and hardware for ET goods means that a wide variety of workers with an array of skills are needed…
- California has a robust and growing workforce in Adjacent and Support Industries that could benefit by shifting to meet ET demand…
- Current training and education programs span the design, development, manufacture, repair, and installation of ET and charging infrastructure. The state would benefit from expanding access to training and education for younger, underrepresented workers and those in rural and central valley regions…
The report offers specific policy recommendations to accelerate EV market growth and the burgeoning supply-chain businesses in California:
- Establish long-term policy and market certainty. Fluctuating policies and incentives can introduce business risk that dampens investment in technologies and workforce development needed to support EVs…
- Continue to create High Road opportunities to grow California’s EV workforce…
- Track progress and key workforce trends. With an industry that is evolving as rapidly as electric transportation, California should take the opportunity to regularly track key opportunities, challenges, and metrics associated with growing the EV workforce…
- Codify robust zero-emission vehicle and infrastructure targets…
Read excerpts below and the full story here.