Growing the Green Jobs Boom

In February 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, one of his first major accomplishments as President.  This $787 billion stimulus package is aimed at revitalizing the U.S. economy – including investing approximately $150 billion in clean-energy projects.

With half of this money now allocated to cities and states, one might ask, where have the clean-energy investments been made? What jobs and opportunities have they created? And ultimately, the core question, is the Recovery working?

Where have the clean-energy investments been made?

Significant Recovery funds have gone to energy-efficiency ─ the clean-energy field with perhaps the greatest potential to make an immediate impact on three key goals: creating jobs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and helping low-income communities.

Major energy-efficiency investments from the Recovery Act include $5 billion to the Weatherization Assistance Program, which weatherizes low-income homes; $3.2 billion to the Energy Efficiency and Conversation Block Grant Program, which gives moneys to states, counties, and cities to invest in energy-efficiency; $3.1 billion to the State Energy Program, which allows states to increase energy efficiency and invest in renewable energy; and $500 million to the Green Jobs Act, which funds worker training and builds pathways out of poverty by enabling entry onto the green career ladder for disadvantaged populations.