October 15, 2009

Seattle ranks high in clean-tech job potential

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One of the most frequently cited solutions to the current employment crisis in this country is the alleged rise of the "clean technology," or clean tech, sector. In a perfect world faced with growing energy demands and aging infrastructure, clean tech was supposed to ride in like a knight on a white horse to provide living-wage jobs and save the earth at the same time.

This week's numbers from Olympia, indicating a 9.3 percent unemployment rate for Washington state and a loss of 5 percent of total jobs in the state since February 2008, illustrate how small an effect the clean-tech market has had so far for local job seekers. However, a study released yesterday by market research firm Clean Edge said that, now that the economy is showing signs of improvement (did we really expect to see a 10,000-point Dow this soon?), the clean-tech potential is becoming reality--and the Puget Sound region appears well positioned for a new bump in job creation.

According to the "Clean Tech Job Trends 2009" report from Clean Edge and PayScale, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton area ranks No. 7 on the list of top 15 U.S. clean-tech markets in terms of growth and job creation, with nearby Portland-Salem, Ore., close behind at No. 8. The six metro regions at the top of the list--in order, the Bay Area, Greater Los Angeles, New York, Boston, D.C.-Baltimore and Denver--were no real surprise. But some other areas that have been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn, such as Phoenix (No. 13) and Detroit-Ann Arbor, Mich. (No. 14), made a surprisingly strong showing.

"Unlike the early days of computers and IT, the clean-tech economy is a highly dispersed phenomenon, with no single place, industry or professional demographic controlling the sector," said Ron Pernick, co-founder and managing director of Clean Edge, in a press release. "This is apparent in the formerly shuttered manufacturing facilities, often in hard-hit industrial areas, that are now opening their doors to make products like wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries."

To create the list, Clean Edge looked at several data sets for each region, including current and historical job postings, early-stage and public market investments, clean-tech job presence, and clean-energy patent activity. The top clean-tech sectors identified in the report were solar energy, biofuels/biomaterials, conservation and efficiency, smart-grid technologies, and wind power.

While the study was international in scope, it offered some insight into possible job growth in the Pacific Northwest. Clean Edge cited findings from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, showing that Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington can meet 85 percent of their new electricity needs over the next 20 years solely through conservation, and at half the cost of building new power plants. Washington state, the Clean Edge study found, is home to one of the world's largest pure-player employers in the clean-tech field, smart-grid firm Itron, in Liberty Lake, Wash., with a staff of about 8,700.

Clean Edge also noted how many universities are offering comprehensive clean-tech educational programs and singled out the Oregon Institute of Technology as the first institution in the U.S. to offer a four-year degree in renewable energy engineering at its Klamath Falls and Portland locations. The OIT program, the report stated, has seen "meteoric growth" over the last four years, with enrollees rising from just five students in 2005 to 210 students this year.

For more information about the survey, median income levels for 36 clean-tech jobs and links to several clean-tech job market Web resources, visit Clean Edge's Web site to download the full 31-page report or view the summary.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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1 Comments

Karen on October 15, 2009 11:37 AM | Reply

Energy independence is critical for the US. Many of these green jobs are now starting to hire in significant numbers. For information on salaries being paid by companies, SalaryFor.com http://www.salaryfor.com/
has a huge database of real salaries that companies are paying for different positions as well as career advice and job listings. You can post your own salary or view others for free.

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