Women in Clean Energy

The energy industry still has a large gender gap, with only 26% of the workforce being women. Despite this lack of representation, women continue to break the glass ceiling, particularly in the renewable energy field. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) conducted a study regarding women in renewable energy and found that:

• 32% of the renewable energy workforce is women
• The solar energy field has the highest representation of women at 40%
• Women account for 21% of the wind energy workforce

While these numbers are far from equal, female leaders in renewable energy are pushing the needle toward equal representation and a cleaner energy future.

Renewable energy continues to grow as more nations fight climate change and push legislation to produce cleaner energy. However, many challenges still lie ahead for the industry. The main hurdles are creating the infrastructure to harness renewable resources and integrating them into our power grid. This includes building more renewable power plants, storage options, and transmission lines.

To properly address these challenges, renewable energy leaders must be technical and skilled in creative problem-solving. Despite the gap in representation in the field, women remain integral in tackling these obstacles and shaping a cleaner energy future. Explore some of the impressive work by women today in the renewable energy industry. While this list is not comprehensive of all the women pioneering our future, it showcases some of today’s female leaders.

Jennifer Layke, World Resources Institute

Jennifer Layke is the global director of energy at the World Resources Institute (WRI). She spearheads a team of over 100 specialists who analyze energy efficiency technology and policy to create solutions worldwide. Layke’s work is critical to overcoming barriers to a clean energy transition. At the WRI Polsky Center for Global Energy Transition, she and her team are paving a way forward by tackling key challenges within clean energy. This work includes modernizing power grids, securing financing, conducting mineral research, and supporting workforce innovation. Her role aligns multiple moving parts to orchestrate a global shift towards clean energy.

Beth Soholt, Clean Grid Alliance

Beth Soholt is the executive director at the Clean Grid Alliance, an organization striving to improve renewable energy in the Midwest. It focuses on pushing renewable policies and building infrastructure to expand renewable energy, including transmission lines and battery storage. Soholt oversees transmission planning and state regulatory proceedings, both of which are key challenges in making renewable energy more accessible to all communities.

Dr. Vanessa Z Chan, University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering

Dr. Chan was the chief commercialization officer and director of the Office of Technology Transitions at the Department of Energy (DOE). In this role, she was responsible for advancing clean energy technologies and programs. Dr. Chan helped in the creation of the Pathways to Commercial Liftoff, a series of reports from the DOE on how to decarbonize both the private and public sectors.

Dr. Chan now teaches at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In this role, she infuses her curriculum with her deep technical knowledge and real-world skills to prepare her students for the workforce. Dr. Chan is helping develop innovation within the future energy workforce, a critical step in transitioning towards a cleaner future.

If the work of these women inspires you, you may be wondering how to get your foot in the door. Job opportunities in the clean energy sector are rapidly expanding and offer an excellent avenue to increase equality in the industry. The U.S. Energy & Employment Report 2024 by the Department of Energy (DOE) offers some key insights into the labor market from 2023.

• From 2020–2023, new clean energy employment accounted for 48.5% of all new energy jobs
• Jobs involving clean energy vehicles grew by 11.4%
• Energy efficiency firms added 3.4% more jobs, outpacing all other technology segments
• Solar employment grew by 5.3%
• Wind power jobs grew by 4.6%

This data portrays an inspiring momentum for clean energy employment. The fastest-growing occupations within the entire U.S. workforce are wind turbine technicians and solar panel installers. These jobs are projected to grow by 60% and 48%, respectively, by 2033. As the industry continues to grow, so does the possibility of improving the gender gap.

To make greater strides toward equality, the International Energy Agency (EIA) established the Gender Advisory Council, which analyzes gender disparities in the sector. The council develops actionable policies for inclusion within the energy industry and for consumers. One such policy is the Equal by 30 campaign, a public promise to work towards equal pay, better opportunities, and more leadership for women by 2030.

The wealth of opportunities in the clean energy industry offers a promising path toward equality in the greater energy sector. A more diverse future in the energy industry is well within reach because of significant employment growth and policy reform. Much of this progress is thanks to the numerous contributions from women who paved the way and continue to create more opportunities for future generations.