While Washington is the ‘Evergreen State,’ where does the state really rank in the Clean Economy? Brookings released on July 13, 2011 a highly-anticipated study entitled “Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment.” The research is an endeavor to create a definition of the clean economy and quantify its significance.
Here is how Brookings ranks the Clean Economy in the State of Washington:
10th: In terms of its overall size, the clean economy in Washington ranks tenth among the fifty states and the District of Columbia.
7th: Washington’s 83,676 clean economy jobs make up 2.8 percent of all jobs in the state. On this measure of concentration, its clean economy ranks seventh.
15th: Between 2003 and 2010, Washington added 14,570 clean jobs, ranking fifteenth among the states.
33rd: Between 2003 and 2010, the sector grew by 2.8 percent annually, ranking thirty-third.
30th: On average, each clean economy job in Washington produces $14,363 in exports, which ranks it thirtieth on this measure.
The estimated median wage in Washington’s clean economy is $46,457. This compares to $43,322 for all jobs in Washington.
From 2003-2010, the largest segments in the state were:
- Conservation;
- Hydropower;
- Organic ford and farming;
- Public mass transit; and
- Waste management and treatment.
From 2003-2010, the fastest growing segments in the state were:
- Renewable energy services
- Remediation,
- Battery technologies
- Solar photovoltaic; and
- Smart grid.