Source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/potential-for-19-million-renewable-energy-jobs/

It has been released in a report by Environmental Entrepreneurs that companies and communities across the country announced that more than 300 clean energy and clean transportation projects in 2012 are expected to create 110,000 jobs. Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a nationwide network of business leaders who advocate for policies that benefit both the economy and the environment. The E2 report comes just two weeks after President Obama announced goals to double our renewable energy and our energy efficiency which will help our economy as well as our environment. However many groups backed by the fossil fuel industry in states across the country, including state Renewable Portfolio Standards, are currently trying to derail clean energy policies. It is necessary that lawmakers continue to support policies to create good, clean energy jobs if we are to continue to see progress. Clean energy projects created jobs in all corners of the country and across Republican and Democratic communities in 2012, with California, North Carolina, and Florida leading the nation. The Southeast as a region led the country in manufacturing-related clean jobs, with more than 13,700 announced last year. Solar, advanced vehicles and wind energy were the leading clean energy manufacturing industries in the Southeast. In the fourth quarter of last year, nearly 16,000 clean energy and transportation jobs were announced, up from 10,800 in the third quarter. However many other sectors saw declines in the fourth quarter largely due to regulatory uncertainty in Congress during the 2012 election. Executive director of Environmental Entrepreneurs Judith Albert concludes, “Smart policies and regulatory certainty- both at federal and state levels- drive economic growth. If 2012 taught us anything, it’s that America wants to keep creating good, clean energy jobs, we need good, clean energy policies.”

Source: Environmental Entrepreneurs news release- REPORT: MORE THAN 110,000 CLEAN ENERGY, CLEAN TRANSPORTATION JOBS ANNOUNCED IN 2012

Source: www.wri.org

A new analysis by the World Resources Institute finds that the United States is not currently on track to meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17% in 2020, however the tools do exist to get there. The Administration and individual states can take steps to reduce emissions without Congressional action, as stated in the report, “Can the U.S. Get There from Here?” President Obama has stated that tracking climate change is high on his agenda, and the U.S. will be taken more seriously about climate change if the 17 percent goal is achieved. Actions that can be taken by the Administration include implementing strong standards for carbon dioxide pollution from existing power plants and limiting methane emissions from natural gas production. States can also take meaningful action on their own, such as implementing renewable energy standards or placing a cap on emissions in the power sector. Although the U.S. can quite easily reach the 17 percent reduction goal by taking such action, much deeper reductions are necessary to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. These long-term reductions will most likely need Congress intervention, however in the mean time the Administration and states can have an influence on reducing U.S. emissions.

Source: World Resources Institute – News Release

Source: sustainableconstructionblog.com

According to a new report issued by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a tax reform will provide Congress with opportunities to promote energy efficiency and remove barriers through the tax code. ACEEE’s executive director, Steven Nadel, notes that Congress should seriously consider energy efficiency and a cleaner environment when rewriting the tax code in the upcoming months. The authors of ACEEE’s report, Tax Reforms to Advance Energy Efficiency, find that changes in the tax code such as promoting capital investment in manufacturing and encouraging advanced energy saving technologies would pay for themselves as the increased energy savings increase profits and tax receipts. There is also a strong possibility for an increase in employment by an average of 164,000 jobs over the 2014-2030 period. This recent report goes into additional details concerning the reduction of subsidies for fossil fuels, emissions fees, and radical change to the business tax code to reduce marginal tax rates. As the tax code is rewritten, Congress can greatly affect the lives of Americans by modernizing the manufacturing sector and promoting advanced energy-saving technologies.

Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy – News Release