Global Scans · Energy · Weekly Summary

• [New] In Illinois, H.B. 3758 / S.B. 2497 targets 15 GW of state energy storage and establishes a virtual power plant program to create jobs and reduce energy prices, laying the groundwork for high-energy-demand data centers. DataCenterKnowledge
• [New] Early in 2026, global renewable energy employment had grown to 16.2 million jobs, and forecasts suggest a doubling by 2030 as countries ramp up net-zero efforts. ConnectComm
• [New] We predict 2026 there will be some sort of physical protest against data centers and what they represent in terms of unwanted energy demand and what they are doing, which is fundamentally taking people's jobs. Insurance Times
• [New] Offshore wind remains a significant opportunity for U.S. energy, jobs, and industrial growth. NOIA
• [New] There will be as many as 53,000 new jobs created in the energy sector in 2026. / Canada Industrial Info Resources
• [New] Canada's methane regulations, once finalized, could create 34,000 new jobs across the country-supporting manufacturing in the east and energy services in the west. Environmental Defense Fund
• By partnering with Ontario Power Generation and its extensive nuclear experience, New York is positioning itself at the forefront of advanced nuclear technology deployment, ensuring we have safe, reliable, affordable, and carbon-free energy that will help power the jobs of tomorrow. North Country Public Radio
• Electrotech is already capturing two-thirds of global energy investment and is responsible for all the expected growth in energy jobs. Just Two Things
• In clean energy, the next decade will bring tens of thousands of jobs, including electricians, pipefitters, engineers and researchers. / Canada BC Gov News
• Administrators are on standby this weekend to handle the collapse of Petrofac, the oil and energy services group - an insolvency which could threaten the future of more than 2,000 jobs in Scotland. SKY
• At a national level level, IRENA's Regional Energy Transition Outlook for South America, released at COP 30, finds that scaling up renewables could generate over 12 million energy-sector jobs and boost GDP by 1.1% per year through 2050. We Mean Business Coalition
• The low-carbon transition could create 375 million jobs over the next decade, spanning renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, and nature-based solutions. We Mean Business Coalition
• India's increasing focus on green jobs and climate-resilient livelihoods - from renewable energy to community-based conservation - aligns economic opportunity with environmental stewardship and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Hindu
• Large-scale nuclear power plants and Advanced Nuclear Technologies, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. GOV.UK
• Port of Tyne's £150 million 230-acre redevelopment project with new deep-water quayside will create potential for 12,000 jobs in Advanced Manufacturing and Clean Energy Industries. GOV.UK
• By advancing transformative infrastructure projects like Wind West Atlantic Energy, Canada's new government is creating jobs, unlocking new economic opportunities, and building a stronger, more resilient Canada. The AI Journal
• Transformative economic opportunities exist: systemic nature-related shifts in food systems, land and ocean use, the built environment, and energy sectors could unlock USD 10 trillion in annual business opportunities and create 395 million jobs by 2030. SDG Action
• Organizations and workers in East Coast states, California and Louisiana are organizing to educate people about the power and potential of wind energy to lower electricity prices, mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, and create good, family-sustaining jobs. Natural Resources Council of Maine
• Without urgent action, Europe risks losing investment, jobs and technology leadership and undermining its decarbonization and energy security goals. reNEWS - Renewable Energy News

Last updated: 11 January 2026