Nearly three dozen clean energy and transportation projects created nearly 10,000 jobs across the United States in the third quarter of 2015, Environmental Entrepreneurs reported earlier this month.
The top 10 clean job-producing states were Utah, California, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Maine, Nebraska, Mississippi, and North Dakota.
“In Utah, solar and wind installation projects propelled the state to the top spot with nearly 3,000 announced jobs,” E2 notes. “Most Utah solar jobs were announced by SolarCity and Vivint, which both want to expand operations in the Beehive State. SolarCity announced plans to open a regional corporate headquarters in Utah, which over the next decade is expected to create thousands of jobs and generate nearly $100 million in investment.”
E2 cites California’s Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act, or SB 350, is an example of legislation that “will continue to attract companies seeking to profit off expansion of California’s clean energy economy.”
The experience shows that, “to continue clean energy job growth, federal and state policy-makers must provide businesses with the regulatory certainty and strong market signals they need to make new investments and expand operations,” the organization concludes. “Implementing the federal Clean Power Plan is one of the most important steps policy-makers can take, right now, to ensure the industry achieves its potential.” (Disclosure: The Energy Mix curator Mitchell Beer is a member of E2.)
