Middle Tennessee Looks To New LED Plant For Green Jobs

Rutherford County in Middle Tennessee stands to see hundreds of new jobs due to a new business partnership.

Scott Broden from the Tennesseean reports:

"Davis Groupe in Murfreesboro, Aladdin Mantle Lamp Company in Clarksville and NCS Power Inc., based in Vancouver, Wash., plan to team to make energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) lights in Middle Tennessee in the next six to 18 months.

Phase I of the arrangement will involve adding about 100 to 200 jobs in the next six to 18 months, with about half of the positions coming to Rutherford County, said Davis Groupe owner Jimmy Davis, who’s confident that automotive suppliers such as the Davis Groupe will create thousands of jobs making alternative energy products." See full article.

Laid-Off Michigan Workers Re-Train For Green Jobs

America's community colleges are moving toward re-training America's workforce. One school in Dearborn Michigan is an example.

The Straits Times reports:

"In a crowded classroom at Henry Ford Community College, laid off auto workers are learning how to install and manage solar panels. The class is part of a new alternative energy technology programme the college created to help retrain the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the collapse of the auto industry.

Sean Peppers, 37, has spent nearly two decades working in auto supplier plants but has not been called for a single interview since he was laid off from his engineering job in January. He hopes the alternative energy degree will help him find work at a plant building parts for wind turbines, or solar panels, or anything that is not a car. Most of the 65 students taking the alternative energy classes are getting their tuition paid through an state programme which provides scholarships to Michigan residents who are unemployed or earning less than 40,000 dollars a year." See full article.

Long Island's Green Workforce Grows

A partnership between a New York utility and BP Solar is producing new jobs.

Claude Solnik at Long Island Business News reports:

"When the Long Island Power Authority in March chose BP Solar to provide 37 megawatts of photovoltaic power at Brookhaven National Laboratory, it was good news for solar advocates. But those in the local solar industry worried the nation’s biggest ground-mounted solar installation might be built in their backyard without Long Island labor.
BP has since said it expects the project, big enough to power 4,700 homes, to provide a boost for local solar workers, generating more than 200 jobs for construction, engineering and electrical work." See full article.

The Main Reasons Green Jobs Are For Real

It is good to see the reasons green jobs are for real pulled together in one place.

Carol McClelland, PhD at Article Maniac reports:

"Is the green economy the next big bubble? Or in other words...Is it worth training for jobs in the green economy or will they vanish by the time we are ready to go to work? My take on this question: Although I am not an economist, politician, or psychic, I have been tracking developments in the green economy for over two years. I continue to see signs of momentum in a variety of arenas." See list of reasons.

Also see McClelland's website: Green Career Central

New Jersey Energy Audit Program Produces New Green Jobs

A New Jersey Utility is creating new jobs by cutting waste and helping people with energy audits.

Beth Fitzgerald at NJBiz.com reports:

"Al Matos, vice president of renewables and energy solutions for Public Service Electric & Gas, said the company has hired 13 energy auditors, and should have 200 or more on board in three years. The training and deployment of energy auditors is funded through state and federal programs, and overseen by the state Department of Labor’s Green Job Training Partnership Program. The state’s utilities industry could eventually provide 1,000 or more of these entry-level green jobs, Matos said. “I think this is going to be very big,” Matos said. “Between the federal and state support, we are going to have more and more of these green jobs to do home and business energy audits, and to install solar panels.” See full article.

Green Jobs That Will "Stay In Las Vegas"

Jaime Cruz helped Las Vegas make its city center more energy efficient. Now he is working on bringing green jobs to America's gambling capital.

Timothy Pratt at the Las Vegas Sun interviewed him:

"Why does Southern Nevada need green jobs? The current economic climate has accentuated the point that, for a long time, we’ve had all our eggs in one basket, with jobs in the service economy and construction. What we’ve seen is that we have to diversify, and green jobs are one way.

What are the challenges? In the long term, we need policies to change the way this community looks at solar energy, more cooperation with the federal government over land use and, with the private sector, ways to make solar energy more affordable. But in the meantime we have to attack what we have control over. For example, if we can find ways to make large buildings more energy efficient, that will create more jobs." See full article.

Clean Energy Sparks 77% Rise in Profits for Florida Utility

One major major utility is showing huge profits through its alternative energy arm.

Julie Patel of the Sun Sentinal reports:

"FPL Group reports ... that its net profit shot up 77 percent in the second quarter to $370 million from $209 million the year before. That’s largely because the net profit of NextEra Energy Resources, FPL Group’s unregulated alternative energy arm, skyrocketed to $186 million last quarter from $3 million the year before. Some of NextEra's hedging on energy contracts paid

"While the Florida economy is quite challenging, we are delivering exceptional value to FPL customers in the form of reliable, clean energy at low rates,” FPL Group Chairman Lew Hay said in a statement. Executives from FPL Group, the largest U.S. wind and solar power generator, said during an earnings call this morning that they expect to benefit from government policies supporting investments in energy projects, including renewable energy." See full article.

Indiana Experts See Clean Energy Economy Coming

A group of energy and economic experts see green energy as a large part of Indiana's future.

The Bloomington Alternative reports:

"The panel was convened by Environment America and the Richard Lugar Center for Renewable Energy in response to the recent U.S. Global Change Research Program report showing that Indiana is already experiencing more extreme storms, drought and flooding due to global warming. According to a survey of green businesses by the Pew Charitable Trusts, job growth in the emerging clean energy economy in our country has been more than twice as fast as in the economy as a whole -- 9.1 percent growth in green businesses, compared with 3.8 percent in all businesses combined.

Economists at the University of Massachusetts calculated that a $100 billion investment in building a clean energy economy could create as many as 2 million new, well-paying jobs in the United States in just two years, with 38,000 jobs here in Indiana. The panel of experts agreed that transitioning to a clean energy economy would benefit the state of Indiana." See full article.

Washington State Wind Farm Expands and Creates New Jobs

A wind farm expansion creates jobs and helps lower carbon emissions.

KNDO.com reports:

"As the wind whips at the Wild Horse Wind Farm, power is being generated and jobs produced. "The county road fund, the county general fund will also see some new tax money based upon this projects value," said Brian Lenz, government and community relations manager, Puget Sound Energy. Wild Horse currently contributes around 1.5 million tax dollars to local schools and government services. The 22 new wind turbines will whirl even more tax revenue into the local economy. Around 150 people are working on the expansion. They're constructing nacelles, which house the generator." See full article.

Governors See Green Job Creation in Climate Legislation

Many states are seeing the importance of embracing the new green economy but others are less convinced citing regional differences.

Associated Press reports:

"Three Democratic governors told a Senate panel [July 21,2009] that efforts to curb global warming and spur the development of cleaner sources of energy have created jobs and new businesses in their states, a trend that could expand nationwide if Congress passes federal legislation. All three states New Jersey, Colorado, and Washington have adopted measures to achieve reductions in the gases blamed for global warming and standards requiring a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources.

But this view was not shared by all state leaders testifying Tuesday before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, including North Dakota's Republican governor and a Democratic state legislator from Arkansas, highlighting regional differences in addressing climate change." See full article.

Navajo Lawmakers Form New Green Jobs Commission

The Navajo Nation Council recognizes they need to diversify their economy and address profound joblessness. Green jobs look promising.

High Country News reports:

"The Council passed the legislation by a vote of 62 to 1. According to Enei Begaye, who spearheaded a coalition to create the legislation, it is the first tribal government initiative to create green jobs policy and structure. Undoubtedly ambitious -- combining traditional culture, web-based marketing and cutting-edge green technologies -- the plan could transform the Navajo Nation and serve as a model for other tribes.The legislation will establish a commission to implement projects in seven areas: renewable energy (large-scale and small), green manufacturing (focused on traditional crafts such as rug-weaving, combined with sophisticated marketing and PR campaigns), sustainable agriculture, weatherizing and making energy-efficient traditional and nontraditional homes, green workforce training, management training, and a small business initiative." See full article.

Green Jobs Northwest: As State Industries Make Changes, Jobs Are Expected To Follow

The northwest region anticipates job growth -- some new and some redefined.

Suzanne Monson of NWJobs report:

"Green jobs are not necessarily new jobs, but often traditional jobs in industries and companies that are adapting to new markets and opportunities available in a clean energy economy,” according to the 2008 Green Economy Jobs report from the Washington State Employment Security Department. According to a Global Insight report prepared for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, some 750,000 green jobs existed nationally in 2006, and 4.2 million more are expected by 2038. “Washington has around 13,075 green jobs now, and that number could increase to over 100,000 by 2038,” the report says. “Nearly 50,000 of those jobs are forecast to occur in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region.” See full article.

Hybrid Market Offers Hope For Auto Industry Recovery

With all the bad news about auto companies these days the idea of new, more fuel-efficient models is providing a bright spot.

NewsOxy.com reports:

"The auto industry might recover faster than most analysts believe due to the growing demand for new hybrid cars. The cars are equipped with hybrid components that actually pass gas savings down to the consumer. There is a growing movement around the globe for these new vehicles that is potentially saving automakers from a total collapse. There is also a trend of auto startup companies on the rise vowing to develop hybrid cars with a lower price tag. Recently, there is a company in China that purchased a factory in Detroit. The company plans to build the parts globally but will assemble the automobiles here in America." See full article.

Investments and Jobs: Pennsylvania Will Triple Its Solar Energy Capacity

Many states are investing in green jobs including Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Governor's Office reports:

"Governor Edward G. Rendell ... said Pennsylvania will triple its solar capacity with nearly $23 million in new grants and loans for companies throughout the state that are embracing the renewable energy industry. 'From a 134-acre solar park in the northeast to hot water heaters for Pittsburgh firehouses, Pennsylvania is investing in its energy future,' Governor Rendell said.' Thanks to the groundwork we've laid during the past several years, we are ready to create a brighter future for Pennsylvania's renewable energy industry while advancing our energy independence. 'Even in this economic downturn, we're creating jobs, expanding Pennsylvania's manufacturing base and producing more environmentally friendly, home-grown energy options.'" See full article.

The New Energy Innovators: Twenty Five Intriguing Clean Energy Start-Ups

In the national discussion about green job creation, innovation and ingenuity are coming to the fore.

BusinessWeek and GreenBiz.com report:

"BusinessWeek teamed up with GreenBiz.com, a green business information service. We don't promise any will blossom into the next Google (GOOG) or Cisco Systems (CSCO). And because they are private, there are no public data on cash flow or profits. But innovators on the list have the brainpower, intellectual property, and ambition to play a role in the coming energy revolution. Since the focus here is strictly under-the-radar, we have excluded famous green startups such as battery maker A123 and electric-car ventures Tesla Motors and Better Place. But like those well-publicized players, all the ones on this list have lined up significant venture backing. "These are companies that, so far, have survived the gauntlet of fund-raising, R&D, and the economic downturn," explains Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz.com, a unit of Greener World Media." See full article: