Bay State Leads The Pack In Clean Energy
Barton McDevitt
Last week I was proud to announce that Massachusetts' clean energy industry is defying the challenging national and global economies by growing 11.2 percent over the last year.
According to our 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report, there are now 71,523 clean energy workers in Massachusetts. That's a big number — more than the populations of Auburn, Grafton and Shrewsbury combined. We're emerging from the recession faster than other states because of our focus on our innovation economy.
Outpacing the overall Massachusetts economy by nearly 10 times, this double-digit growth indicates a healthy sector that supports business development in Worcester.
This boom didn't happen overnight. It took a long-term commitment to nation-leading clean energy policy.
Under Gov. Patrick and Lt. Gov. Murray's leadership, and with businesses, residents, lawmakers, environmental groups and municipal leaders all at the table, we created groundbreaking legislation including the Green Communities Act, the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Green Jobs Act, which created the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
These policies ignited a clean energy revolution in homes, communities and businesses statewide, creating high demand for clean energy services. Municipal governments are putting solar panels on town halls; residents are using rebates to make their homes more energy-efficient and we're investing in energy-efficient state facilities, which cuts costs by hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
In Massachusetts, we ship $18 billion of the $22 billion we spend annually on energy sources out of the state, region and the country. We have no native sources of traditional fossil fuel, so investing in home-grown renewable energy keeps those dollars here, creating a robust marketplace for clean energy jobs.
There are now 4,995 clean energy firms in Massachusetts. Most of these are small businesses, employing 10 people or less. The industry's growth trend is steady, with the sector expanding 6.7 percent from 2010 to 2011. And employers expect to increase hiring again in 2013.
There are now new possibilities for young people entering the workplace and a new industry for seasoned workers from other industries to thrive in. These firms are creating good-paying jobs, from installers and manufacturing positions to professional services jobs — in fields like accounting and finance — which grew more than 50 percent.
The largest sector is energy efficiency. These companies are making their livelihoods off the demand for services to make energy-efficient upgrades to heating and cooling systems, insulate buildings and install and develop sophisticated energy management systems like Worcester-based World Energy. Energy Monster, also based in Worcester, helps homeowners make their homes more energy efficient.
One of our generation's biggest challenges is energy: where to get it, how to keep it sustainable and make it cost effective. As part of our new clean energy generation, these companies — large and small — are leading the charge. Investing in clean energy not only protects the environment and public health, it's just good economics. n
Alicia Barton McDevitt is CEO
of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
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