Jobs
The clean-energy economy is not a pipe dream: It is already happening in states across the country. More than 750,000 jobs already exist in renewable and efficient energy, waste management, land remediation, and the hundreds of other occupations that combine environmental preservation with economic growth. These jobs range from entry-level construction and manufacturing work that offers room for advancement, to high-skill occupations in the sciences and engineering. With strong policies to support new investments into these industries, clean-energy jobs will soon overtake jobs in the traditional fossil fuel sectors.
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Clean-Energy Investments Create Jobs
Hundreds of thousands of hard working Americans are already employed in clean energy jobs. Learn about these jobs and how they can help put millions of Americans back to work.
Less Carbon, More Jobs
Check out Environmental Defense Fund’s LessCarbonMoreJobs.org—businesses that are poised to benefit from the clean-energy economy.How to Revitalize America's Middle Class with the Clean Energy Economy from the Blue Green Alliance is an excellent issue brief that shows how the clean-energy economy is already revitalizing the American manufacturing sector and creating good paying union jobs. Skip to the end for some great state-level statistics. (2009)
Working for the Climate, a report recently released by Green Peace and the European Renewable Energy Council, shows how many jobs could be created in renewable power generation under a global “energy [r]evolution” scenario. (August 2009)
Why Clean Energy Public Investment Makes Economic Sense is a 2009 report by the United Nations Environment Programme that clearly presents the evidence the connection between government clean-energy spending and overall economic health. (October 2009)
Wind Energy for Rural Economic Development from the Department of Energy is a useful eight-page fact sheet that describes how meeting the goal of 100,000 MW of wind power will create $60 billion in capital investment in rural America, generate $1.2 billion in new income for rural landowners, and create 80,000 new jobs. (June 2004)
Green Collar Jobs in the U.S. and Colorado: Economic Drivers for the 21st Century from the American Solar Energy Society presents an estimate of the size and composition of the national renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, including technology, sales, tax revenue, jobs, occupations, skills, and projected growth through 2030. (January 2009)
The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy from the Center for American Progress and Political Economy Research Institute explains how clean energy investments in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the American Clean Energy and Security Act together will drive $150 billion in investment and create 1.7 million new clean energy jobs. (June 2009)
Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United States from the Political Economy Research Institute, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Green For All is a companion report to CAP’s “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy.” It shows how transitioning to a clean-energy economy will create opportunity for people of all education and income levels. (June 2009)
Manufacturing Climate Solutions, from the Center on Globalization Governance and Competitiveness, goes technology by technology to show the opportunities for manufacturing growth in the clean energy and energy efficiency industries. (November 2008)
New Energy Economy Market Research Study from the Environmental Defense Fund
State Fact Sheets on Clean Energy Jobs in the United States from the Environmental Defense Fund
The Clean Energy Economy from the Pew Charitable Trusts
Clean Energy Economy Fact Sheets from the Pew Charitable Trusts
Clean Energy Investment Creates Jobs in Every State: Fact Sheets for the 50 States and DC from the Center for American Progress and Political Economy Research Institute
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