The clean energy manufacturing landscape in the US is undergoing significant transformation, as highlighted by the American Clean Power Association (ACP) in their recent report. This document sheds light on how the sector is expanding and its ripple effects on the economy and employment.
Entitled America Builds Power: The State of Clean Energy Manufacturing in 2026, the ACP report evaluates 825 active manufacturing sites across all states, employing 50,000 workers who receive salaries 35% higher than the national average.
Beyond direct employment, the report identifies an additional 50,000 jobs supporting upstream activities and almost 107,000 jobs resulting from household spending by these workers, termed as induced jobs.
Overall, the ACP calculates that clean energy manufacturing contributes to 215,700 jobs, distributed among solar manufacturing (106,100), energy storage (53,100), and wind (56,500).
The report also highlights the economic impact of constructing new or expanded facilities, noting that such projects in 2025 supported 207,000 jobs and contributed over $20 billion to the GDP.
Top states benefiting from clean energy component manufacturing in terms of GDP include Texas, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Georgia, each known for their specific specializations in solar, battery, and wind technologies.
Looking toward the future
Projections by the ACP suggest substantial growth in employment by 2030, with solar manufacturing jobs increasing by over 63,000 and production capacities for solar modules and cells expected to rise significantly.
Energy storage manufacturing jobs are projected to see an even larger increase, with over 91,000 new jobs anticipated as battery module manufacturing capacity doubles and domestic LFP cell capacity expands significantly by 2030.
Wind energy manufacturing is expected to see modest growth, with a forecast of 2,400 additional jobs by 2030, attributed to the current production capacity already meeting demand.
Upcoming events
The ACP report’s findings will be further discussed in two upcoming events hosted by pv magazine USA.
The first event, Solar Manufacturing USA 2026, is set for September 22 and 23, 2026, at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin, Texas. This live conference will feature networking events and sessions on technology, facility operations, and procurement strategies.
Representatives from various companies in the solar and energy storage sectors will attend, with current partners including T1 Energy, SEG Solar, and Talon PV.
The second event, pv magazine USA Week 2026, is a virtual event scheduled for October 20-22. The first day’s theme is U.S. Solar Manufacturing: From Announcement to Implementation, featuring a keynote and a panel discussion moderated by pv magazine USA senior editor Ryan Kennedy.
Further details and registration information will be available later, with partnership opportunities now open on the event page.
Original Story at pv-magazine-usa.com