Report: New Jersey has potential for 600 clean energy jobs, seventh in nation

Aug 17 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Mary Diduch The Record (Hackensack, N.J.)

The state created as many as 600 "green" jobs last quarter.

The power-generation sector posted the most project announcements, with 35. Solar power was leading the category, with 19 projects. Wind power followed, with 12 projects.

New Jersey has risen to seventh in the nation among clean energy job-creating states, according to a quarterly report by a clean energy business advocacy group.

Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a national group of business leaders that works with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said New Jersey has a total of 600 in-operation or potential jobs for clean energy projects in the state, lifting New Jersey 11 spots from its first-quarter ranking.

The report, released Thursday, tallied only jobs created for clean energy projects announced publicly in the second quarter by governments or businesses. It then breaks down the jobs by those in operation and those to be created in the Garden State.

"The good news is that despite the challenging economic and political environment, the clean energy industry is still creating badly needed American jobs all across the country," Judith Albert, executive director of Environmental Entrepreneurs, said in a conference call Wednesday.

The report focused on clean energy projects in manufacturing, public transportation, power generation and energy efficiency. The report counted two project announcements for New Jersey for the April-to-June quarter.

The first was in April, when an $11 million federal tax credit rebate was announced for a solar panel rooftop project in Gloucester City. That project, completed the same month, created 200 jobs.

The second was a June announcement about a public-private project expected to create 400 construction jobs over 18 months: Montclair State University and Mays Landing-based Energenic-US LLC's $90 million plan to build a 5.4 megawatt combined heating, cooling and power system to power more green energy for the school.

Overall, about 35,000 potential clean-energy jobs were counted in the second quarter in the United States from 70 companies, cities and organizations. California tops the list with 20,879 potential jobs.

Thirty states -- one-third from the Midwest -- announced projects. The Midwest leads because of its established industrial base. The automobile industry is creating hybrid/electric cars and some autoworkers may be transitioning to solar and wind projects, Albert said.

The power-generation sector posted the most project announcements, with 35. Solar power was leading the category, with 19 projects.

Wind power followed, with 12 projects, despite warnings from E2 of the potential December expiration of the Production Tax Credit, a tax incentive for renewable energy industries, that could lead to a loss of 37,000 jobs unless Congress renews it, said Michael Rucker, chief executive officer of juwi Wind USA.

E2 has been tracking clean energy jobs since September 2011 to show that these positions are part of the national economy, said Bob Keefe, communications director.

Email: diduch@northjersey.com