The green energy transition may displace 1.7 million fossil fuel workers in the US. This study investigates whether these workers possess transferable skills and are geographically located near emerging green jobs. While fossil fuel workers possess skills similar to those in green occupations and could leverage mobility to other industries, they are not co-located with current or projected green energy production regions. This geographical mismatch presents a significant barrier to a Just Transition, even with reskilling initiatives. Policies supporting the transition should address this co-location issue through relocation incentives or job creation in fossil fuel-dependent regions.

Junghyun Lim, Michaël Aklin, Morgan R. Frank