The tough battle to regain clean energy jobs

The jobs rebound in clean energy sectors, broadly defined, slowed greatly last month, per a newly released analysis.

The big picture: Clean energy industries added just 3,200 jobs last month, far fewer than in June, according to the BW Research Partnership's analysis of unemployment claims.

• The sectors' combined employment remains about 15% below pre-pandemic levels, per the research firm commissioned to do the analysis on behalf of industry groups and advocates.
• The tally looks at several broad categories: efficiency, renewable power, alternative fuels, storage and grid tech, and electric cars.

What they're saying: The renewables sector said the data shows that Congress should enact policy changes.

• "What is needed most right now is temporary refundability of renewable tax credits so projects can continue to move forward despite an increasingly constrained tax equity market, and a delay in the scheduled phase-down of existing tax credits," said Gregory Wetstone of the American Council on Renewable Energy.
• It is one of the groups that commissioned the analysis.

Go deeper: The long road to clean energy innovation