Nearly 10,000 clean energy jobs were created across the country during the first quarter of 2015. According to a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs, Utah ranks among the nation’s top ten states for green job growth. The successes of clean energy have depended as much on state law as interest in the private sector.
Utah saw 300 clean energy jobs spring up in the first quarter of this year. Jeff Benzak of Environmental Entrepreneurs said that states with green industry-friendly laws saw the greatest amount of job growth.
“More often than not, what we find is that states that have the best policies in place are the states that are attracting the most development and the most clean energy jobs,” Benzak said. “For example, Georgia topped our list this quarter. That’s a bit of an anomaly but if you take a little bit closer look at the numbers, you’ll understand that most of those jobs were solar jobs. Georgia does have some strong state-level solar policies in place.”
In 2013, around four percent of Utah’s net electricity generation came from renewable resources. That number could grow in the near future. Benzak said that more consumers than ever before are using green energy.
“What we’re seeing is that clean really is growing all across the country. It’s gone from a niche part of the market a couple of decades ago to really becoming mainstream,” he said. “People understand the technology. It’s not something that’s far off in the future, it’s happening right now. You’re seeing it in Utah with solar projects. It’s starting to change the way we source our energy in the country.”
The top three states for first quarter green job growth were Georgia, California, and Texas.
