More than 6 million employment opportunities
will be added to the energy industry by 2050,
thanks mainly to the energy transition. Clean
energy sectors like wind, solar, nuclear and biomass will develop rapidly, creating a vast number
of employment opportunities in technology
development, equipment manufacturing, installation and maintenance. It is projected that the new
energy sector will create 4 million new jobs for the
entire energy value chain by 2030, and more than
8 million new jobs overall by 2050. The new
energy industry will play the role of stabiliser by
absorbing surplus workers from conventional
energy sectors. For example, those workers from
the coal sector with less expertise and fewer skills
could work in infrastructure construction. The
development and deployment of energy-efficient
technologies will also create employment in the
technology and service fields (Fig. 61).
6.4.2 Regional Structure
of Employment
China’s energy industry is faced with two contradictory challenges: excess supply of inadequately skilled labour and a shortage of qualified
people with the right skills in renewable energy,
energy transmission systems, and emerging services like demand-side response, energy efficiency and integrated energy management.
China’s energy revolution will, therefore, impact
different provinces in different ways, depending
on the structure of the energy industry within
their domain.
In provinces such as Zhejiang, where the new
energy and energy service sectors are developing
well, the energy revolution will have only a
slight impact on the provincial employment
structure. Thanks to higher revenues and the
creation of numerous employment opportunities
by the new energy industry, surplus employees
from capacity-cutting sectors can be repositioned
within those provinces.
In provinces like Shanxi and Inner Mongolia,
where conventional energy sectors like coal
dominate, the energy revolution will have a
greater impact on the employment structure. On
the one hand, there is high unemployment in
capacity-cutting sectors like coal. On the other
hand, these provinces have relatively abundant
new energy sources. Yet, despite large amounts
of new energy capacity, wind and solar curtailment is severe. The new energy sector in these
provinces has, therefore, limited development
potential in the near future and cannot absorb
surplus employees from the conventional energy
sectors. High unemployment and economic
downturn will form a vicious circle, resulting in
outflows of skilled young residents. This will in
turn adversely impact the provinces’ future economic development.
Fig. 61 Employment trend
in the energy industry in the
Recommended scenario (in
100,000)
Special Report 1: A Study of China’s Energy Supply Revolution
173
will be added to the energy industry by 2050,
thanks mainly to the energy transition. Clean
energy sectors like wind, solar, nuclear and biomass will develop rapidly, creating a vast number
of employment opportunities in technology
development, equipment manufacturing, installation and maintenance. It is projected that the new
energy sector will create 4 million new jobs for the
entire energy value chain by 2030, and more than
8 million new jobs overall by 2050. The new
energy industry will play the role of stabiliser by
absorbing surplus workers from conventional
energy sectors. For example, those workers from
the coal sector with less expertise and fewer skills
could work in infrastructure construction. The
development and deployment of energy-efficient
technologies will also create employment in the
technology and service fields (Fig. 61).
6.4.2 Regional Structure
of Employment
China’s energy industry is faced with two contradictory challenges: excess supply of inadequately skilled labour and a shortage of qualified
people with the right skills in renewable energy,
energy transmission systems, and emerging services like demand-side response, energy efficiency and integrated energy management.
China’s energy revolution will, therefore, impact
different provinces in different ways, depending
on the structure of the energy industry within
their domain.
In provinces such as Zhejiang, where the new
energy and energy service sectors are developing
well, the energy revolution will have only a
slight impact on the provincial employment
structure. Thanks to higher revenues and the
creation of numerous employment opportunities
by the new energy industry, surplus employees
from capacity-cutting sectors can be repositioned
within those provinces.
In provinces like Shanxi and Inner Mongolia,
where conventional energy sectors like coal
dominate, the energy revolution will have a
greater impact on the employment structure. On
the one hand, there is high unemployment in
capacity-cutting sectors like coal. On the other
hand, these provinces have relatively abundant
new energy sources. Yet, despite large amounts
of new energy capacity, wind and solar curtailment is severe. The new energy sector in these
provinces has, therefore, limited development
potential in the near future and cannot absorb
surplus employees from the conventional energy
sectors. High unemployment and economic
downturn will form a vicious circle, resulting in
outflows of skilled young residents. This will in
turn adversely impact the provinces’ future economic development.
Fig. 61 Employment trend
in the energy industry in the
Recommended scenario (in
100,000)
Special Report 1: A Study of China’s Energy Supply Revolution
173