Avoiding job loss in the transition to renewable energy

Shifting to green energy is necessary for the planet, but the change will create economic winners and losers. As a hub for green tech innovation with relatively little exposure to fossil fuel-intensive industries, Massachusetts is likely to benefit. But the green energy transition nationwide represents a direct threat to the nearly 2 million workers and their communities that rely on oil, gas, and coal for their livelihoods. For these places, a rapid energy transition could be economically disastrous. Policymakers must act now to blunt the painful consequences of concentrated job loss by being prepared to offer much more help to workers who are affected by mass layoffs. State and local governments must also dramatically scale up high-quality programs to help displaced workers retrain for a green economy.