The fledgling renewable energy industry has grown steadily over much of the past decade, adding jobs at more than twice the national rate, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts study released recently.
Solar and wind-power companies, energy-efficient light bulb makers, environmental engineering firms and others expanded their work force by 9.1 percent from 1998 to 2007, the latest year available, according to Pew.
The average job growth in all industries was 3.7 percent during the same period.
The entire energy sector has experienced growth in recent years as well, according to the Bureau of Labor. Bureau data shows coal mining jobs jumped 16 percent from 2003 to 2009. Oil and gas extraction jobs jumped 28 percent.Continue:
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20090628/BUSINESS/906280360/Study-reveals-jobs-in-fledgling-renewable-energy-sector-are-growing
Sanyo Electric's subsidiary Shimane Sanyo will start up a new HIT solar cell production line, in anticipation of an active demand for photovoltaic systems worldwide stimulated by economic packages as represented, the company says, by the "Green New Deal".
The new production line will be installed on the second floor of Factory Building No. 3 and is scheduled to begin operation in April 2010.
Shimane SANYO currently has a total HIT cell production capacity of 130MW.
On May 7, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the University at Buffalo unveiled what officials said would be the largest solar energy project in the state to date.
At a news conference in the Center for Tomorrow on the North Campus, NYPA President Richard Kessel and UB President John B. Simpson announced a $7.5 million award to the university for the construction of a collection of solar panels in an attempt to encourage renewable energy technologies across New York State.
The solar panels will produce 1.1 megawatts of solar energy for the campus and are set for installation near the beginning of the fall semester in 2010.
With his vote that helped the U.S. House narrowly approve the energy bill, U.S. Rep. Mike Castle established his reputation as moderate Republican. That is not a comfortable place to be, with conservative blogger coming up with a "Wanted Poster" and a few letter-writers from out of state expressing their anger in letters with in all capital letters. Castle did decide to issue a lengthy statement explaining the vote:
"My priorities, as I represent Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives today, begin with the economic opportunities and security for all who live here. We are facing serious challenges in both areas. With state budget shortfalls, rising unemployment and stagnant growth in many of the industries on which we typically rely-- new ideas and bold strategies for the future are required. Simultaneously, our nation's military is spread thin across the world in an effort to confront those who seek to do us harm. One major threat to our security and theirs is the current reliance we have on foreign energy sources.
Continue:
http://www.ledgerdelaware.com/articles/2009/06/28/news/doc4a48269d16023954290172.txt
By Kate Galbraith
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced measures on Monday to hasten the development of solar energy on Western public lands.
Mr. Salazar, appearing in Las Vegas with Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, said that 670,000 acres of lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (an agency within the Department of the Interior) would be studied to determine whether they could support large solar power arrays.
Twenty-four tracts of land in six states — Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah — are under review. Maps of the land will be published shortly in the Federal Register.The solar study zones, Mr. Salazar said, are part of the Obama administration’s push to do “everything we can to put the bulls-eye on the development of solar energy on our public lands.”
Continue:http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/new-measures-to-aid-solar-on-public-lands/
