Attacks on clean energy cost Wisconsin jobs

From a commentary in The Capital Times by Mark Redsten, executive director of Clean Wisconsin:

Gov. Scott Walker was elected on the promise of creating 250,000 new jobs in Wisconsin. If he is serious about creating this many jobs, he and legislative leaders must stop the attacks on clean energy and instead embrace this industry’s potential to create thousands of jobs.

Clean energy is one of the strongest and fastest-growing industries in the nation. It represents a significant bright spot in these otherwise troubled economic times, dominating the list of fastest-growing industries in the United States, according to a report recently released by IBISworld.

The report, “10 Fastest Growing Industries,” lists the fastest-growing sectors in the nation by percentage of revenue and includes wind power (No. 3), environmental consulting (No. 7) and solar power (No. 10). The fast growth of these industries sharply contrasts with the otherwise sluggish economy and will likely continue well into the future. The solar industry can expect to grow another 7.9 percent by 2016, and wind can expect to grow 11.2 percent, according to the report.

This continued growth promises to spur the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country in the coming years. With an abundance of natural resources, motivated workers and existing infrastructure for manufacturing, Wisconsin is well-positioned to become a leader in this booming industry.

Unfortunately, Walker and legislative leaders seem to be moving Wisconsin in the wrong direction and killing jobs by passing policies that create a business environment hostile toward clean energy.

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