It’s one small step for America — and one giant leap for clean energy.

A recent study found that jobs in America’s emerging clean energy sector are growing more rapidly than jobs in the fossil fuel industry. The study, conducted by the Pew Charitable Trusts, found that while employment in the traditional energy sector grew just 3.7 percent between 1998 and 2007, jobs in clean energy technologies grew by 9.1 percent.

Clean energy jobs are diverse — as are the salaries. They include engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants and even teachers, with salaries ranging from $21,000 to $111,000. This sector has a ways to go in catching up with the number of workers employed by traditional energy, however. In 2007, the fossil fuel industry employed 1.27 million workers; clean energy provided 770,000 jobs.

Pew defines a clean energy economy as one that creates jobs, businesses and investments while expanding clean energy production, increasing efficiency, conserving natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution. Pew includes five categories in its definition of a clean energy economy: clean energy, energy efficiency,  environmentally friendly production, conservation and pollution mitigation, and training and support.

Increasing consumer demand, venture capital investments, and federal and state policy reforms are expected to dramatically expand green jobs, Pew reports. Already, investors are spending more on alternative energy sources than on fossil fuels. Federal and state reforms are also under way. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated $85 billion for direct spending and tax incentives for energy and transportation programs.

States are also jumping on the bandwagon. So far, 23 states have adopted initiatives that will help reduce pollution from power plants, 46 states have offered tax incentives for renewable energy use and energy-efficient systems, and 29 states and the District of Columbia now require electricity providers to derive at least part of their power from renewable energy sources. Pew’s website has an interactive state-by-state map where you can learn more about green jobs in your area.

Interested in one of these green jobs? Check out Great Green Careers, a website that connects employers and job seekers.

Last weekend more than 12,000 people flocked to Washington, D.C., for a three-day demonstration to demand the creation of green jobs, cuts in the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and less dependence on fossil fuels. More than 4,000 lobbyists visited nearly every congressional office on Capitol Hill, and nearly 2,500 protestors gathered in front of the Capitol Power Plant, which burns coal to heat congressional offices. 

This mobilization, one of the largest in history, shows that the Americans are taking interest in their environment and energy sources—in a big way. 

Americans want clean energy now. Photo from Natural Home archives.

Coal plants were a major focus of the protestors and lobbyists. Despite claims of “clean coal,” coal-burning power plants, which produce about half of U.S. electricity needs, emit carbon dioxide. (Check out the May/June issue of Natural Home, on newsstands April 14, for more on that.) After the December coal spill at the Tennessee Valley Authority power plant, coal is under even greater scrutiny these days. 

The fossil-fuel industry certainly won’t go down without a fight. Various companies are hiring their own lobbyists and pledging millions of dollars to counteract legislation from green advocates. Yet some legislators are starting to take heed. Four days before the protest, several congressional leaders called for the end of the coal-burning Capitol Power Plant. 

We truly are on the verge of an energy revolution—and you can be a part of it. Our guide to alternative energy breaks down the pros, cons, costs and ideal conditions for various sources of alternative energy. Whether you start small with a few solar lights for your garden or go large with a geothermal system, you can be a part of it.

The economic stimulus package that President Obama signed last month provides $20 billion for investment in a greener economy. Of that, $500 million will fund training programs for green jobs, which include building a new power grid, manufacturing solar panels, weatherizing homes and office buildings, and renovating schools.

American workers are ready for green jobs. Photo courtesy  Green For All . 

In an op-ed piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Vice President Biden wrote that funding green jobs would pay more—on average, 10 to 20 percent more than similar jobs in traditional employment sectors.  

Biden also points out that a greener nation would mean fewer expenses for Americans. Weatherizing homes could decrease heating and electricity bills by 20 to 40 percent. A cleaner environment could mean healthier families and fewer health costs. 

Vice President Biden isn’t alone in campaigning for green jobs. In 2007, Van Jones, a California-based lawyer, launched the advocacy group Green For All, which works to create new jobs with an environmental focus. Jones campaigned for the 2007 Green Jobs Act, which provides grants for training in eco-friendly trades, and he’s also worked with his local government to secure funding for similar programs in Oakland. 

“If we shut down pollution-spewing power plants and shift to renewable energy, what happens? We reduce asthma,” Jones told Natural Home last year. “If we reduce asthma, we cut expenses. If one kid with asthma doesn’t have health care, it costs the family about $10,000 a year in inhalers, lost wages and ER visits. That means if you clean up the air with renewable energy, you put $10,000 per kid per year back into the pockets of poor people.” 

We like the sound of that.

Learn how to land green jobs.