What could different pathways to decarbonizing Illinois’ natural gas system mean for the state’s workforce? BW Research recently explored this question, examining how five gas decarbonization scenarios could shape employment growth, workforce transitions, and opportunities for existing energy workers across Illinois.
The analysis evaluates the net workforce impact and skills transferability of current natural gas workers in Illinois. It establishes a baseline profile of workers in the
state’s natural gas industries, estimates the potential scale of employment changes in the natural gas sector and in the electric power generation sector under each decarbonization scenario, and examines the factors that may shape workers’ ability to transition into growing industries and occupations.
Our workforce analysis is part of the Illinois Gas Decarbonization Pathways Study, developed for the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) in collaboration with Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3) and Viridis Consulting LLC. See the ICC website for the broader pathways study, which evaluates the economic, environmental, infrastructure, and workforce implications of different approaches to decarbonizing the state’s gas system.
