Renewable Energy Jobs: 20 Million by 2030

The renewable energy sector may have an estimated 20 million new job opportunities by 2030 according to Helene Pelosse, interim Director- General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Pelosse addressed an audience at a 5-day renewable energy conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The growth in 2008 was 2,332,000 jobs, and the expectation is for that to grow to 20,000,000 by 2030.

She cited double-digit growth rates for both photovoltaics and wind over the last several years, and observed that 60 percent of new capacity in Europe is coming from renewable sources. The growth has been four-fold from 2004- 2008, standing at $162 billion in 2009 alone.