Nearly 47,000 clean energy and clean transportation jobs were announced at more than 170 projects across the United States in 2014.
Nevada (home of Tesla's new battery factory), California, and New York led the nation in new job announcements last year, followed by Michigan (EVs), Arizona (solar), Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Utah, and New Mexico.
The FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE HERE. Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a U.S. community of businesses who promote environmental policy and economic prosperity. For more details beyond the report, including state-by-state breakdowns, start here.
"The clean energy revolution continues," said Bob Keefe, E2 executive director, in a blurb about the report. "The one place in the country that doesn't seem to get it is Congress. Instead of sitting on Capitol Hill endlessly debating new ways to prop up coal, oil and other dirty energy companies, lawmakers ought to actually look at what's happening in their states and quit stalling on smart policies that will keep clean energy working for all of America."
Clean energy and transportation are among the few industry sectors that are doing well, these days. Some driving factors behind this clean tech job growth are, of course, energy policies. Topping the list: According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan could create up to 274,000 jobs in the energy efficiency sector alone. According to E2's report, half of the renewable energy companies will increase investment levels when the EPA Clean Power Plan is implemented.
Amidst this job growth in Colorado and Michigan, state legislatures could soon reverse green business job creation there, freezing or gutting state sustainable energy standards through actions similar to Ohio SB 310, and West Virginia HB 2001, and inaction as in the case of Indiana.
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