VP Biden: Smart Grid Stimulus Creating 104,000 New Jobs

A report issued by Vice President Joe Biden estimates that Recovery Act investments will provide 104,000 new jobs in the Smart Grid sector alone. Jobs created in renewables and energy-related manufacturing bring the overall total to almost 900,000 new jobs, according to the report estimate.

The Recovery Act invested $80 billion in clean energy with $4.3 billion going to a wide variety of Smart Grid technologies, research and development, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, demonstration projects and more.

The 900,000 number represents the estimated total number of new jobs that will be created from $29 billion in Recovery Act money coupled with an additional $52 billion in private investments. In addition to the Smart Grid, $24 billion invested in renewable and advanced manufacturing is expected to create 722,000 jobs, and $2.3 billion invested in advanced energy manufacturing facilities should create 58,000 new jobs.

Biden's report also noted that renewable electricity from solar, wind and other sources should double in the period from January 2009 to 2012, and that renewable manufacturing capacity for wind turbines and solar panels should also double in that same period.

   Climate Progress article

   Smart Grid jobs toolkit

   Smart Grid stimulus awards and projects on SGN