Clean Economy Shows Potential for Rapid Growth

In the Brookings Institute's pulse check on the nation's clean economy, researchers found that most of the country's clean economy jobs and recent growth were held in the largest metropolitan areas.

July 14, 2011, 10am PDT | Kristopher Fortin

The clean economy has done better than the nation during the recession, it accounts for more than 2.7 million workers, and is prominent in state capitals, such as Sacramento, Raleigh, and Springfield.

"Some 64 percent of all current clean economy jobs and 75 percent of its newer jobs created from 2003 to 2010 congregate in the nation's 100 largest metro areas.

The researchers also break down how the clean economy takes shape in different metropolitan areas:

"Metropolitan area clean economies can be categorized into four-types: service-oriented, manufacturing, public sector, and balanced. New York, through mass transit, embodies a service orientation; so does San Francisco through professional services and Las Vegas through architectural services. Many Midwestern and Southern metros like Louisville; Cleveland; Greenville, SC; and Little Rock-but also San Jose in the West-host clean economies that are heavily manufacturing oriented."

"Finally, some metros-such as Atlanta; Salt Lake City; Portland, OR; and Los Angeles- balance multi-dimensional clean economies."

Full Story:

Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment

Published on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 in The Brookings Institute