3 replies to this topic

[E3 wise]

In 1991 my husband and I began our Alternative Energy and Water design company.  At that time the state of Texas had just announced plans to provide huge funding for wind projects in Texas. We lived in the upper panhandle of Texas and were very aware of the potential of wind energy.  My husband had actually worked with one of the first vertical wind testing projects overseen by the USDA as a way for farmers and ranchers to expand their businesses by installing wind on their property.  Yet at that time the costs were so high that without incentives the ability to install these turbines was out of reach for most.
Our ideas was simple- test and certify  many different properties to show the viability of wind and then lease property to electrical producers, so they could keep costs lower while providing income for land owners.  So using our own capital we put up 45 different testing towers on different properties and then put them together in blocks to lease the land.  It worked very well.
    What we quickly learned was that the jobs created by alternative energy were well paying middle class jobs that added to the local economies and brought in tax revenues for county, state and federal governments which allowed these governments to actually lower taxes.  Another fact that became quickly apparent was that these construction, electrical, plumbing and infrastructure jobs could not be exported to other countries.
Over the last 21 years we have seen this replayed over and over in the United States with all forms of Alternative energy.  No matter if it is solar, wind, geothermal, bio-mass, hydro or fuel cell and hydrogen these technologies provided a way to jump start economic growth and provide broader tax bases that helped governments with funding for education, infrastructure and healthcare in many different areas.
   My point is that even if the technology is produced outside the US, the actual instillation, upkeep and expansion of these technologies provides a broad job base that helps local economies.  American solutions that grow jobs.

[karmaman]

I've always felt kind of uncomfortable about the rise of "soft service" jobs in America as manufacturing dropped - the replacement of factories with fast food and massage parlors. I think that building, installing and maintaining sustainable energy equipment is a good way to help rebuild the economy.

[E3 wise]

karmaman you raise an important point.  I don't think anyone who thinks about the loss of manufacturing jobs being replaced by soft service jobs is really happy.  The reason is because often soft service jobs traditionally don't pay a high wage or come with things like benefits and health insurance.  Infact many businesses have purposely made sure not to have full time employees working 40 hours or more, just so they can avoid benefits.  Alt energy jobs are indeed different in that they pay good wages and come with benefits and have the added bonus of providing energy made here in America.  Thanks for your reply.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Part of the reason we're losing jobs (especially green ones) is our lack of education.
They have been slashing and burning the funding for education for kids for years, and for young adults.
It takes a lot of money to go to college.
And even if you successfully complete college, student debt is overwhelming.

These green jobs that E3 spoke to may be a part of solution, but again, they are not "higher education"
jobs, necessarily.
Manufacturing and maintenance of the turbines, building and installation of solar panels,
rebuilding the grid are blue collar jobs.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud it.

But kids in India and China are schooled at much higher levels, at earlier ages in tech, science,
mathematics-the subjects of the future.
We're still graduating a high percentage of students that are into "the arts". That's fine too but
we need engineers, and science majors more than young adults that will become directors for a movie.