The number of jobs in America's emerging green energy grew at a rate two and a half times faster than jobs overall between 1998 and 2007, according to a report released last week by the Pew Charitable Trust.
Nationwide by 2007 the study reported 68,200 businesses across all 50 states and the District of clumbia accounted for 770,000 jobs in the green energy industry. By comparison, jobs in the fossil fuel sector -- utilities, coal mining, oil and gas extraction -- comprised about 1.27 million jobs in 2007.
While it still accounts for only one-half percent of overall jobs, the Pew study found clean energy jobs grew at a national rate of 9.1 percent during that nine-year period, compared to 3.7 percent for traditional jobs.
Southern Nevada is described as the "Saudi Arabia of renewable energy" with its abundant sunshine. The report only covers projects already operational. Three dozen companies have applied for permits on public rights-of-way to build concentrated solar power plants in Nye County alone.
In Nevada, the Pew Chariable Trust estimates there were 3,641 green energy jobs in 511 businesses in 2007. Green energy companies had venture capital funds of $19.8 million. There were 71 patents issued in Nevada over the nine-year period studied in the report.
Examples of green energy companies operating in Nevada include Ormat Nevada, a company which operates geothermal power plants, which was a successful bidder for geothermal leases in Big Smoky Valley in northernmost Nye County back in 2007. Geothermal energy is the major source of renewable energy in Nevada. Another example cited in the study was the Power Efficiency Corp. of Las Vegas, which develops energy-efficient electric motors.
The clean energy industry had a job growth rate of 28.8 percent in Nevada from 1998 to 2007, compared to the overall job growth rate in Nevada of 26.5 percent, the study reports. But the report stated only 0.28 percent of Nevada's 1.28 million jobs were clean jobs.
The institute study noted the promising industry is poised to expand significantly, driven by increasing consumer demand, venture capital infusions and federal and state policy reforms.
The American Recovery and Revinvestment Act includes nearly $85 billion in direct spending and tax incentives for green enery and transportation related programs. Twenty-three states have adopted regional initiatives to reduce global warming pollution from power plants, 46 states offer tax incentives to encourage renewable energy and energy efficiency, the Pew Institute reported.
The definition of clean energy includes jobs in five categories: clean energy production, energy efficiency, environmentally friendly production, conservation and pollution mitigation and training and support.
Almost three-quarters of the green energy jobs in Nevada are in the category of conservation and pollution mitigation, the study reported, only 6.2 percent in producing clean energy. Nationwide 65 percent of the jobs were in conservation and pollution mitigation.
Companies in Nevada involved in producing clean energy include Acciona Energy, operators of Nevada Solar One, a 64-megawatt, solar thermal power plant in Eldorado Valley near Boulder City. Sempra Energy plans to add a solar field that will increase power generation at its plant in Eldorado Valley from 10 megawatts to 48 megawatts. Nellis Air Force Base has an array of solar panels generating 14 megawatts.
The jobs are as diverse as engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants, teachers and others, the study reported.
"We hope this report will inform and guide our nation's leaders as they seek to expand our emerging clean energy economy," the report states signed by Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center on the States and Joshua Reichert, managing director of the Pew Environment Group.
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