Clean Energy Jobs | Opportunities for Industry and Business | Costs of Inaction
Less Carbon, More Jobs: This map locates some of the hundreds of clean energy businesses throughout Ohio.Clean energy already provides thousands of Ohio workers with good jobs during hard times. This fact sheet collects several sources of information showing how accelerating the clean-energy transition will benefit Ohio's economy — and, conversely, the costs and consequences of failing to act.
This map1 tells the story of existing companies across Ohio that will get new customers and create jobs with a cap on carbon.2
Profiles of Clean Energy Businesses in Ohio
Owens Corning in Toledo and First Solar in Perrysburg are two of the many businesses already flourishing from the rising interest in clean energy. Read their stories to learn more about clean energy jobs.3
The Clean Energy Economy [PDF]
The clean energy industry is booming (job growth of 7.3%) even while overall job growth is declining (job losses of 2.2%). By 2007, 2,513 businesses had generated more than 35,000 Ohio jobs [PDF] in the clean energy economy, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. Venture capitalists are investing nearly $75 million in Ohio's clean energy businesses.4
| Clean Businesses (2007) | Clean Jobs (2007) | Clean Job Growth (1998-2007) |
Overall Job Growth (1998-2007) |
Venture Capital (2006-2008) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 2,513 | 35,267 | 7.3% | -2.2% | $74,224,000 |
Both the Department of Energy and McKinsey and Company have identified significant, untapped opportunities for Ohio's industries to prosper under a clean energy economy.
According to a June 2009 report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, inaction on global warming will cause significant harm to the Midwest.9 The University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research has concluded that these effects have heavy economic consequences for Ohio.
The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that global warming will hurt the health of Ohio's citizens [PDF], as well as its transportation infrastructure.11 And the National Wildlife Federation shows how global warming will damage Ohio's hunting and angling industries [PDF].12
A nationwide cap on greenhouse gas emissions would jumpstart a new energy economy in Ohio and accelerate the growth of good-paying, clean jobs. If we fail to act soon, the new markets for clean energy will grow overseas instead.
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