On Thursday, September 19, U.S. Senators Shaheen (D-NH) and McSally (R-AZ) introduced a bill to require the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct an annual survey and report of employment in the U.S. energy sector. The Promoting American Energy Jobs Act of 2019 would:
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Establish an Energy Jobs Council, to include at least one State Energy Office serving on the State Energy Advisory Board;
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Outline methodology and content guidelines for the analysis, in consultation with State Energy Offices and other key stakeholders; and
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Ensure public access to the data collected.
The bill would also require the research and data collection methodology to be consistent with that used for DOE’s 2016 and 2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Reports.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Senator Shaheen and her staff on advancing this important bill,” notes NASEO Executive Director David Terry. “While it has been a privilege for NASEO to be involved in the production of a national jobs survey and report for the past two years, it is important to have DOE’s research capabilities, expertise, and continued investment moving forward.” NASEO joined nearly a dozen energy and business organizations in submitting a letter of endorsement for the bill.
NASEO, in conjunction with the Energy Futures Initiative and BW Research Partnership, produced the 2018 and 2019 editions of the U.S. Energy and Employment report, with support from a wide array of State Energy Offices, philanthropies, and energy, environmental, and business organizations.
Research and fundraising for the 2020 edition are currently underway. To learn more, contact Sandy Fazeli, NASEO Managing Director of Policy, at sfazeli@naseo.org.