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Archive for the ‘Green Jobs News’ Category
The Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor has just released a major publication titled - Why Green is your Color: A Woman’s Guide to a Sustainable Career! It’s a comprehensive manual to assist women of all career levels succeed in our developing green economy. The extensive, well organized guide delves into all things green – education, occupations, entrepreneurship, job search methodology and career planning.
What is a green job? Green jobs are generally defined as jobs that restore, protect, or conserve the natural environment.
The U.S. military is the single largest consumer of energy in the world. It’s also a leader in renewable energy initiatives and energy efficiency. The Department of Defense has a goal that 25 percent of its energy consumption will be supplied from renewable sources by 2025. Their recent announcement of Project SolarStrong is a significant step in that direction and will mean substantial job creation at 124 military bases in 33 states.
Job growth statistics released today (April 1, 2011) by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows continued growth in the U.S. labor market. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.8% as the economy created 216,000 new jobs in March. The unemployment rate has improved a full percentage point in the last four months. The economy needs to add 125,000 new jobs each month just to keep up with a growing number of Americans eligible for employment. The private sector added 230,000 jobs in March on top of the 240,000 jobs in February as local government hiring continued to contract.
Moody’s Analytics, as illustrated in USA Today has forecasted U.S. job growth by geographic region and by industry.
Forty years after the Beatles released the song Here Comes the Sun, the USA is putting the sun to work for us, “…and I say it’s all right”. Solar Power is on the move with several important announcements this week.
The White House will now be a solar house … again. Energy secretary Steven Chu and Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley announced that the White House will have solar panels installed early next year. The panels will provide both hot water and electricity. Nancy Sutley, Environmental Quality Chair, stated that the “federal government has to lead by example“.
Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar announced final approval to the Lucerne Valley and Imperial Valley Solar Projects in California. The projects are deemed “smart from the start” by environmental groups and are the first ”large-scale” public lands solar projects. The Imperial Valley Solar Project is expected to produce 709 megawatts which can supply power to 212,700 – 531,750 homes with clean energy. When completed, the Lucerne Valley Project is expected to produce 45 megawatts to power between 13,500 – 33,750 homes. The projects will create 600 jobs during the construction phase and 100′s of permanent positions.
The Department of Interior announced the approval October 25th of the 1000 megawatt Blythe Solar Power Project. It will be the largest solar energy project to be constructed on public lands. Solar projects on publics lands, announced this month alone, will produce 2800 megawats of power for 2 million homes in California and the Southwest.
How about this announcement as we transition from fossil fuel to clean energy in the USA? Ohio Governor Ted Strickland’s office announced that a 49.9-megawatt solar 
farm, the Turning Point Solar project, will be built on the site of a former strip mine in Ohio. Up to 600 jobs will be needed during the construction of the project. The $250 million operation is expected to achieve full capacity in 2014. Solar energy and green jobs are coming to Appalachia.
Here Comes the Sun “sun, sun, sun, here it comes”…