Clean-Energy Jobs Surpass Oil Drilling for First Time in U.S.
Source: Bloomberg
The number of U.S. jobs in solar energy overtook those in oil and natural gas extraction for the first time last year, helping drive a global surge in employment in the clean-energy business as fossil-fuel companies faltered.
Employment in the U.S. solar business grew 12 times faster than overall job creation, the International Renewable Energy Agency said in a report on Wednesday. About 8.1 million people worldwide had jobs in the clean energy in 2015, up from 7.7 million in 2014, according to the industry group based in Abu Dhabi.
Fed by state initiatives to spur clean energy and innovative financing measures offered by companies such as SolarCity Corp., developers are adding workers at record rates to install rooftop panels. Oil and gas producers by contrast have slashed 351,410 jobs worldwide since prices began to slide in the middle of 2014, according to Houston-based Graves & Co.
“The continued job growth in the renewable energy sector is significant because it stands in contrast to trends across the energy sector,” said Adnan Amin, director-general of Irena, which is based in Abu Dhabi. “This increase is being driven by declining renewable energy technology costs and enabling policy frameworks. We expect this to continue as the case for renewables strengthens and countries move to achieve climate targets.”
Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-25/clean-energy-jobs-surpass-oil-drilling-for-first-time-in-u-s
Shell Cuts 2,200 More Jobs to Withstand Lower-for-Longer Oil
Royal Dutch Shell Plc will cut 2,200 more jobs, taking the tally of losses to 12,500 from 2015 to 2016 as Europe’s biggest oil producer continues to adjust to the slump in prices.
At least 5,000 jobs will be cut this year, the company said in an e-mailed statement. These reductions are in response to oil prices staying “lower for longer,” and a result of the acquisition of BG Group Plc earlier this year, said Paul Goodfellow, Shell’s vice president for the U.K. and Ireland. Shell and BG employed about 94,600 people at the end of 2015.
“These are tough times for our industry,” Goodfellow said in the statement. “We have to take further difficult decisions to ensure Shell remains competitive through the current prolonged downturn.”
The industry is cutting deeper despite oil’s 80 percent recovery since January. Prices remain about half the level of two years ago and producers’ earnings have been pummeled, credit ratings cut and borrowings increased to maintain dividend payouts. To help protect their balance sheets, companies have deferred or canceled billions of dollars of projects, renegotiated contracts with suppliers and eliminated thousands of jobs.
“Oil has recovered but is still below $50 and companies aren’t able to cover their dividends at that level,” said Jason Gammel, a London-based analyst at Jefferies International Ltd. “They are doing all they can and more cost-cutting measures are likely.”
more...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-25/shell-cuts-2-200-more-jobs-to-withstand-lower-for-longer-oil
= new reply since forum marked as read
for increasing numbers of Republicans to come around and finally "accept the science." 
Thanks for the thread, Purveyor. 
