A national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) of 25 percent by 2025 would add 274,000 new green energy jobs, particularly in the Southeast, according to a new study funded by an industry group.
The study, conducted by Navigant Consulting for the RES Alliance for Jobs, found that an RES would prevent the long-term stagnation of the wind industry and the collapse of the U.S. biomass industry.The study itself is here.
The RES Alliance is an industry group that includes General Electric, Vestas, the American Wind Energy Association and Iberdola.
The study also calls for near-term RES targets of 12 percent by 2014 and 20 percent by 2020 which would attract the necessary long-term investment.
Texas, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Florida would stand to gain the most jobs according to the analysis. Most of the jobs would come in manufacturing.