The hope is that a green energy push in the United States will create jobs while reducing greenhouse gases.
But in 2009, new green jobs in the wind energy industry were hard to find. The industry installed 10,000 MW of generating capacity during the year, a record.
But manufacturing growth in the country lagged. Early in the year, before federal recovery act monies began to flow into clean-tech, the wind industry expected its employment to fall by 50 percent, according to the American Wind Energy Association.
This worst-case scenario did not come about. By mid summer, federal incentives spurred construction. But business remained soft. There were one third fewer manufacturing plants in operation, expanded or announced in 2009 than in 2008, the association reported Tuesday. Orders were weak and inventories were high. The result was job losses.
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The association fears more may be on the way – though this was not the promise of the nation’s clean-tech transformation. New incentives announced this month on top of the current tax credits and support for transmission line expansion will help boost the industry. But a federal bill requiring specific wind energy targets would go a lot further.
Unfortunately, such a prospect looks unlikely as long as Republicans have 41 votes in the Senate.
So far, the job numbers are relatively small. As of November, the association estimates the wind energy industry created 85,000 jobs. However, the potential for more appears to be considerable. If 20 percent of the country’s electricity comes from wind by 2030, the nation will have created 500,000 jobs, according to the Department of Energy.
I think it’ll still be years before we really get into greener energy.
I think you are right. The energy markets are so huge that a little here and a little there doesn’t add up to much. That’s why the opportunities are so big.