Green Jobs for Hoosiers

LugarHeader By Larry J. Schweiger

I’m joining with clean energy industry leaders tonight at the Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy in Indianapolis to hear how they are creating clean, green jobs for Hoosiers.

Clean energy jobs in Indiana grew two and a half times faster than overall job creation from 1997 to 2007.

Indiana currently has over 1,200 clean energy companies that employ 17,000. With the right clean energy investments, that could grow to 38,000 jobs in Indiana.

The clean energy sector overall now tops $500 billion a year – more than defense and aerospace industries combined. It will reach $2 trillion a year in ten years, the largest economic development opportunity ever identified.  With the right investments, this opportunity will create over 4 million new U.S. jobs. I liked Michael Northrop’s insightful piece on this Clean Energy Gold Rush we’re facing.

The question we’ll talk about tonight is – will America own the clean energy future or have to buy it from others? I hope you will join me at the Richard G. Lugar Center tonight to hear from business leaders who are helping put Indiana on the right path to creating clean, green jobs.