REPORT: More Than 15,000 Clean Energy, Clean Transportation Jobs Announced In Third Quarter 2013

Top 10 States for Job Announcements in Q3: Calif., Nev., N.Y., Mich., Texas, Ky., S.C., Fla., Tenn., and N.M.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Companies and communities across the United States announced more than 80 clean energy and clean transportation projects in the third quarter of this year that together could create more than 15,000 jobs, according to a report released today by the nonpartisan business group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

The report includes announcements from 30 states in industries ranging from solar power generation to recycling to clean-energy related manufacturing and biofuels. The top sectors were renewable power generation, with 6,700 jobs announced, and manufacturing, with 3,300 jobs announced.

The report shows strength in industries that benefit from strong state-level renewable energy policies. However, the scheduled sunset of an important federal policy in the wind industry is slowing job growth in that sector.

To download the complete report, and to see detailed information on how clean energy is currently impacting your state's economy, visit www.cleanenergyworksforus.org.

"Clean energy continues to put Americans to work," said Judith Albert, E2's executive director.

California and Nevada led the country for clean energy and clean transportation job announcements, and several Southeastern states – including South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida – were among the Top 10 states for job announcements tracked by E2.

"Clean energy and clean transportation jobs aren't limited by geography or politics," Albert said. "Our quarterly reports and our www.cleanenergyworksforus.org Web site make that obvious."

While there were positive developments in states like Nevada – which thanks to a strong state-level renewable energy policy had five solar announcements – E2's latest job announcement tally shows continued problems nationwide in the wind industry, which is bracing for the scheduled expiration of the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) at the end of this year.

"Clean energy policies have a real impact on workers across the country," Albert said. "Washington, D.C., may be far removed from what's happening in the heartland, but wind industry workers there will feel the pinch as the wind tax credit expires, the project pipeline dries up, and wind jobs become scarce."

Despite federal level policies that are holding back growth, some state renewable energy policies are having a positive jobs impact, the report found.

In fact, of the top 5 states for job announcements in the third quarter, only Texas does not currently have a statewide renewables procurement standard on the books. The top 5 states were: California (2,467 jobs announced), Nevada (2,081), New York (1,807), Michigan (1,100) and Texas (774).

E2 has tracked clean energy and clean transportation jobs since November 2011. The 15,000-plus jobs E2 tracked this quarter are considerably more than the corresponding quarter in 2012, when 10,800 jobs were announced.

Some of this difference may be attributed to E2 tracking recycling announcements for the first time. More than 1,300 jobs were announced in the recycling sector, many in Southern states that had not previously posted large quarterly job announcement numbers.

Details from each of the job announcements included in this report can be found at www.cleanenergyworksforus.org.

To receive daily updates on clean energy job announcements, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CEW4US.

Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is the independent business voice for the environment. E2 is a national community of individual business leaders who advocate for good environmental policy while building economic prosperity. Learn more at www.E2.org.

SOURCE Environmental Entrepreneurs and Natural Resources Defense Council. Washington, D.C.