posted on Thursday, November 16, 2006 5:58 PM
by
Gunnar Birgisson
Studies: Growth in Renewables Sector Can Create 160,000 New Jobs in Three States
Creation of new jobs is often touted as one of the reasons to develop renewable energy. The manufacturing of alternative energy components such as wind turbines and solar panels could create 160,000 new jobs in three states, according to recent studies conducted by the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of groups calling for aggressive renewable energy development. It projects that, with the appropriate federal and state incentives, new investment in this emerging sector could establish 95,000 new jobs in California, 42,000 new jobs in Pennsylvania and 23,000 new jobs in Ohio.
The studies emphasize significant job gains in major industrial states that have in recent years seen the loss of manufacturing jobs. Also included in the reports are maps of industrial sites in each state where manufacturing could occur, statistics on investment versus job creation potential, and statistical breakdowns for job growth in different renewable sectors such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. The goal for the study reportedly is to spur interest at the local level to identify firms that could benefit from a national program and generate discussion on how best to tie reinvigorated domestic manufacturing activity into a national program to develop renewable energy.