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 in Colorado.Clean energy already provides thousands of Colorado workers with good jobs during hard times. This fact sheet collects several sources of information showing how accelerating the clean-energy transition will benefit Colorado's economy — and, conversely, the costs and consequences of failing to act.
This map1 tells the story of existing companies across Colorado that will get new customers and create jobs with a cap on carbon.2
The Clean Energy Economy [PDF]
The clean energy industry in Colorado is booming (job growth of 18.2%), much faster than the rest of the economy. By 2007, 1,778 businesses had generated more than 17,000 Colorado jobs [PDF] in the clean energy economy, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. Venture capitalists are investing $622 million in Colorado's clean energy businesses.3
| Clean Businesses (2007) | Clean Jobs (2007) | Clean Job Growth (1998-2007) |
Overall Job Growth (1998-2007) |
Venture Capital (2006-2008) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 1,778 | 17,008 | 18.2% | 8.2% | $622,401,000 |
The Future of the Clean Energy Economy [PDF]
University of Massachusetts researchers conclude that the American Clean Energy and Security Act, coupled with the clean energy provisions passed in the ARRA stimulus package that Congress passed in February 2009, will drive $150 billion of investment in clean energy nationwide. This investment will create more than 28,000 jobs for Colorado's workers.4
Both the Department of Energy and McKinsey and Company have identified significant, untapped opportunities for key industries in Colorado 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 Southwest.9 The University of Maryland has concluded that these effects have heavy economic consequences for Colorado.10
And the National Wildlife Federation shows how global warming will damage the 36,000 jobs provided by Colorado's hunting and angling industries [PDF].11
A nationwide cap on greenhouse gas emissions would jumpstart a new energy economy in Colorado 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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