AP: Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming leaders in green jobs

http://omaha.com/article/20090610/MONEY/906109982

NEW YORK (AP) — The fledgling renewable energy industry has been growing steadily for years with more than twice the national average percentage job growth over much of the last decade.

A study released Wednesday by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that clean energy jobs grew by 9.1 percent compared with a national average of 3.7 percent from 1998 to 2007, the latest year available.

The most recent data does not include the effects of the recession, which has hit every industry.

The report used private jobs data that included information about employers, and Pew researchers spent nearly a year determining which ones could be considered part of the clean energy economy.

Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming led the country with the largest percentage growth in clean energy jobs during the 10-year period. Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey saw a drop.

Populations

Idaho 1.5M

Nebraska 1.75M

South Dakota 804K

Wyoming 532K