While jobs are being lost in other sectors, between 2003-2010, nearly 5,000 clean energy jobs were created in Kentucky says a new report by the Brookings Institution, with the largest job growth coming in appliance manufacturing. The report identifies almost 37,000 “clean economy jobs” in Kentucky. By comparison, there are about 18,000 total coal mining jobs in the state.

And, with a median salary of $35,585 per year, clean energy jobs pay Kentucky workers $2500 more annually than average wages for all other jobs in the state.

In terms of overall size, Kentucky’s clean energy economy ranks 26th in the nation. Nearby states with clean energy standards in place – which KFTC advocates to pass in Kentucky through the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance – all have bigger clean energy economies than Kentucky. Ranking particularly high are neighbors Illinois (5th), Ohio (6th), and North Carolina (11th).

To learn more about clean energy standards and the impact they could have on Kentucky’s economy, visit www.kysea.org.