Every once in a great while, the news I have to share is actually good news. and this is one of those occasions. We not only have more clean jobs than we did before, but also, more than we thought we would have.
A new report by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), flagged this past week by the San Antonio Business Journal, found that over 110,000 new clean energy jobs were announced in 2012. The group tracked over 300 project announcements across multiple sectors and in every region of the country.
A few of the noteworthy 2012 trends in E2′s report include:
- Public transportation drove clean job growth nationwide, clocking in at over 43,000 jobs over the course of the year. Power generation, most of which came from solar, wind, and geothermal, came in second with more than 30,000 jobs.
- Solar power was a strong and steady job creator throughout the year, and especially in the fourth quarter, providing over 19,000 jobs between the manufacturing and power generation sectors.
- Investment in energy efficiency hit a record high of $5.6 billion in 2012, according to E2′s analysis of government data, thanks to the announcement of as many as 9,000 new jobs.
- Uncertainty over the production tax credit hit wind energy, leading to a decline in job creation announcements in the fourth quarter, even as capacity installation ramped up at the end of the year to get in under the anticipated expiration. But now that the “fiscal cliff” deal has extended the credit for another year, 2013 expectations show wind energy regaining some of its momentum.
… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
The biggest obstacle we face to increasing this trend is the massive subsidies we taxpayers provide to dirty energy, enabling them to maintain obscene profit levels while selling their products at a lower cost than they could in a truly unfettered market. That means that the best way forward for our society is to shift the subsidies from dirty to clean.
16 Responses to “More Clean Jobs”
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Thank you for the good news, Tom.
Itt is so nice to hear something positive for a change. There are still a bunch of rednecks around here fignting against the wind farms. They claim the noise pollution is life-threatening. These are the same type of people who sue McDonald's for burning themselves on hot coffee.
Good news– YES!
I hear you! Soooooo stupid!
yes good news indeed and know all we need is a woman President to continue in 2016. Democtats in 2016 and beyond woo hoo
Amen to that as long as it's not a RepublicanT!
If you mean Hillary, she really isn't a green gal.
Tom It's not only Hillary but just about all in Washington. But Al Gore and now President Obama pushing for green jobs it will be apart of the Democrat agenda for 2016. Who better than Hillary to push it? Wait I know Elizabeth Warren in 2021.
Mama, I agree. I'm just trying to prevent what happened with Obama. Obama is a centrist, but people have been furious at him for not heing the progressive they convinced themselves that he was. If anything, Hillary is a tad to the right of Obama, and while I would prefer a more progressive nominee, I fully expect to be supporting her in 2016. We just need to recognize who she is from the start.
Good news indeed! But I would say that the biggest obstacle is the Republican/Teabagger corporate whores that protect the subsidies to dirty energy. Until they are substantially reduced in numbers, the subsidies will stay. May Mr Obama and the Democrats not be persuaded to join the dark side, the dirty energy conclomerates.
I fully agree, Lynn.
I've complained about this for years but, Republicans/Tea-Bags keep blocking the fix… 🙂
That's because of who owns them.
this is good news and bad as well — my son left his well paying law firm (Patent law) , to become an entrepreneur in solar – more rewarding from a sense of honor for sure. I visited him recently to view some of his hopeful – areas of venture – and was shocked to learn how antiquated our power grid is! I saw the maps, and the deserts where so much of the "military" is based and areas that should be able to immediately rely on solar (from an "obvious" point of view) and would point to so many of the areas that I couldn't understand why he wasn't developing possible sites – the answer consistently was – there was no accessiblility to the power grid in those areas! I really was appalled by the remarkable fact that our power grid has no accessibility to these areas – our deserts are not ready – and yet there are huge military bases located in California and New Mexico – and of course not only military – but towns and cities – like Las Vegas, or Santa Fe – to mention two – that should be totally solar, other States as well, that cannot utilize solar sources just because the grid is not available — why? — why don't we put our soldiers to use – take them out of war zones and have them build our power grid in the desert? – that's my idea – but –Fat Chance!!!
Lee, I understand partially and know that our power grid uses technology over a century old. Bring it into the 20th century, let alone the 21st is a huge infrastructure need.
Thanks for the good news TomCat! Hooray! Long may it continue and expand!
Thanks Pat, and AMEN!