Boston GreenScene

WHERE ARE ALL THE GREEN JOBS WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT?

by Kate Waller

It seems like every time you turn on the TV, another politician is making shiny new promises.  From healthcare, to balancing the budget, to defense strategy, everyone has an angle.  But one thing that they all seem to agree on is that America needs jobs – and lots of ‘em.

The Obama Administration in particular pins its hopes on green jobs.  They paint a picture of a carbon-neutral American Utopia where well-paid technicians happily install solar panels, highly educated engineers design new automotive technologies and every home whirs along in Prius-like silence as Smart Meters monitor electricity use.

So where are all these green jobs?

Green Job in Europe? MIT Euro Career Fair 2011.

Looking for a full-time job or an internship, thinking of studying or pursuing a professional career in Europe? Boston Green Scene is a proud press sponsor of the biggest European Career Fair in USA.

European Career Fair (ECF) at MIT is a great place to start your search. Discover the many opportunities that international companies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations from Europe have to offer. Some of them concentrate on green energy or implement sustainability and green solutions. Submit your resume online at www.euro-career.com. Registration is free! The deadline for resume submission is Friday December 3, 2010.

Boston Event: Down 2 Earth

 

Down 2 Earth, a Boston sustainable living expo, is one of the largest green business events in the city. According to their website, D2E is: "An exploration into sustainable living.  As a community of savvy consumers and responsible businesses, we can effect major change. And that’s what D2E is all about. Our sponsors, exhibitors and advisory board are committed to exploring how we can live well for ourselves and our planet."

We hear great things about the D2E expo and are looking forward to checking out all of the sustainable businesses in the Boston area.  Hope you see you there!  

Who: You and your friends

When: Friday, April 9th to Sunday, April 11th

Where: Hynes Convention Center

Cost: $10 adults, $8 students & seniors 

Contect: www.d2eboston.com

Learning From Cape Wind

By Dan Burgess

This April, near the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will make the final decision that seals the fate of Cape Wind.  The tumultuous 130 off-shore wind turbine project, in process for almost ten years, has the potential to turn the powerful Nantucket Sound winds into enough clean electricity for approximately 400,000 homes. 
 
No matter how Secretary Salazar adjudicates, however, it is clear that there is a lesson that Massachusetts policy makers must learn from Cape Wind: large projects cannot be the unilateral focus of clean energy development.
 
While Cape Wind has helped to blaze a critical path for wind electricity generation in New England, it has also shown that such projects can be incredibly controversial.  Opponents of Cape Wind believe the turbines would hinder sea navigation, do harm to the local environment, diminish the Sound’s natural beauty, and negatively impact tourism.  Additionally, opponents are skeptical about supporting a project in their backyard that appears to only financially benefit the few who have access to the tremendous resources that are required for a wind farm like Cape Wind.
 
Considering the abject criticism that arises with large renewable energy sites, it is evident that a parallel policy which supports smaller projects should be pursued. 
 
Imagine a policy which allows every Commonwealth resident or business with a parcel of land or a rooftop to prosper from installing their own renewable energy system.  A system in which each citizen, not just those with great means, has the ability to produce clean, safe electricity that also increases their financial security.  Envision windmills on every farm, solar panels on every home or business, and Massachusetts taking a real step towards energy independence.
 
This vision is not some policy pipe dream.  This scenario is beginning to happen today in several European countries and Canada, and is leading to rapid growth in renewable energy generation.  In Germany, a country that is considered a world leader in clean energy production, over 15% of electricity consumed is produced by renewable energy sources.  This number is expected to grow to at least 50% by 2050.  In Spain, wind turbines supply over half of the national power grid and solar panel installment is on the rise.  These surges of clean, homegrown electricity are made possible in part through a simple policy mechanism called a feed-in tariff.  
 

A feed-in tariff, also known as a renewable energy payment, is a guaranteed monetary payment per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated by a renewable source.  These guaranteed payments from power companies to renewable producers create a market for clean electricity, reduce the barriers to entry for individual investors, and allow virtually any individual to prosper financially from installing a clean energy system.
 
Currently in Massachusetts, most of those who produce clean energy can only count on receiving a kilowatt credit on their bill for the unused electricity that they create.  This policy, known as net metering, is the most common form of clean energy incentive in the United States and does allow some clean energy projects to be feasible for individuals.  Unfortunately, these electricity credits, even when combined with available rebates, grants, and tax incentives, are simply not enough to kick start the renewable power surge that our state needs.  In fact, the lack of a singular incentive policy can have the reverse effect and can become too complex of an investment puzzle for potential investors to piece together.
 
Forty years ago, the Clean Air Act set off a stampede of environmental innovation and investment that our country had never seen before.  Recently, Massachusetts has led the United States by enacting several progressive clean energy policies such as the Green Communities Act.  Now, on the cusp of the looming Cape Wind decision, Massachusetts residents are calling once again for more progressive energy policy.  People are desperate for new jobs, financial security, and freedom from being held hostage by yo-yoing energy prices.  Bay State officials should heed these pleas, and enact a smart, comprehensive feed-in tariff policy that allows all citizens to take part in the clean energy revolution that Massachusetts so desperately needs.

Policy Corner: Feed-in Tariffs Offer Farmers Clean Energy Revenue

By Dan Burgess 

As we’ve explored over the past few months, Massachusetts has several initiatives in place that aim to promote clean energy generation.  Renewable portfolio standards, net metering, tax credits, rebates, and state grants are all helping to ensure that the Commonwealth is a burgeoning renewable energy leader in the United States.These policies, particularly net metering and the streamlining of wind turbine citing processes, now pave the way for a more progressive policy that has proven to be successful in Europe and Canada: renewable energy payments known as feed-in tariffs (FITs). 

Put succinctly by renewable energy analyst and advocate Paul Gipe: “Feed-in tariffs are simply payments per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated by a renewable resource. They are the world’s most successful policy for the rapid development of significant amounts of renewable energy... Feed-in tariffs work because they are more equitable than other policies. They enable everyone--including homeowners, farmers, cooperatives, and businesses large and small--to profit from renewable energy.” 

As Gipe mentions, FIT policy has proven, both in Europe and in the few times it has been attempted in the United States, to be superior to other clean energy policies.  These guaranteed payments from power companies are successful because they allow investors to garner a modest profit from renewable energy generation.  A smart FIT payment structure ensures moderate profitability for even small projects and reduces market entry barriers that currently exist for establishing clean energy systems.  It’s easy to imagine our state leading the clean energy boom if Bay State households were paid directly as a result of installing solar panels on their roof or erecting a windmill on their farm. As outlined by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are six key elements for successful FIT policy:

1. Contract stability, typically for 15 - 20 years
   
2. Payments based on the cost of a project that ensure a modest profit for the investor.
3. Incremental payment decreases throughout the lifetime of a contract to account for future technology advancements.
4. Payments should be dependent on the type of project. 
5. In order to ensure payment, additional costs of FIT payments should be tied directly back to electricity rate payers.
6. Ensure a FIT approval process in streamline in order not to discourage projects from coming to fruition.

Massachusetts has set formidable goals for clean energy generation and job creation.  These goals aim to reduce negative climate impact, create green collar jobs, lessen the Commonwealth’s requirement for fossil fuels, and to produce a more sustainable state for future generations.  The most effective way for Massachusetts officials to ensure the Bay State is this leader, is to enact a common sense feed-in tariff system that will ultimately renew, revitalize, and rejuvenate our state. To learn more about FIT policy visit www.wind-works.org or visit the NREL at www.nrel.gov.  

International NonProfit "Ocean Alliance" Seeks Administrative Volunteers

From the Editor's Desk

Have some extra time between now and the end of the year? Looking to get your foot in the door as an administrator at a green organization? If so, the following call for volunteers published by Ocean Alliance might interest you:

Ocean Alliance, an international nonprofit whale and ocean research organization located in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is seeking volunteer administrative assistance to help with year-end tasks and New Year outreach.

Responsibilities will include normal office duties, including filing, mailings, donor stewardship, and basic banking. We are Mac-based (with MS Office applications) and work in a converted barn in a very casual environment. 

Hours are flexible and schedules can be developed around availability. This volunteer position can lead to a permanent, part time position based on future organizational funding and the successful applicant’s fit with the team.

More organizational information can be found at www.oceanalliance.org.

Send brief resume/job experience and cover letter to patrickw@oceanalliance.org. No calls please.

Green Job Growth: What is it? Where is it?

by Anneli C. Olila, Editor-in-Chief of Boston GreenScene / Principal of Olila Documents & Communication Strategies

In my recent discussion of green job hunting myths, I argued against the mystique surrounding the green job industry and the psychological and other barriers this presents to those hoping to transition into a green career.  Responses from readers ranged from disbelief, to hesitant hope, to specific questions regarding qualifications and resources. In this article, I start to provide some data that may be useful to readers in understanding the projected growth of the green job market and where they might fit in.

What Do We Mean by 'the Green Job Market is Growing'?

According to the United States President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), green jobs are everywhere, and the growth of the green job market is anticipated to continue to outstrip the growth of other markets. In its July 2009 report, the CEA cited data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing projected growth in environmentally-related occupations to be 38% more than all other occupations combined by 2016. This is depicted in the following figure, reproduced from page 8 of their report:

To put this into perspective, it is worth noting that the occupations they considered were actually in a fairly limited range.  Specifically, the BLS projections drawn from in the CEA report are based on data for the following occupations only:

Squashing Some Green Job Hunting Myths

by Anneli C. Olila, Editor-in-Chief of Boston GreenScene / Principal of Olila Documents & Communication Strategies

Each week, I spend hours talking to job seekers of all levels—from those just graduating from school to highly-experienced C-level executives. Many are contemplating a green career, either out of their passion for the environment or simply because other markets are tight and the green market shows promise. Often, what I hear is a fatigued and resigned voice on the other end of the phone saying, “I’d love to join a green company, but they all want you to already have vast experience in the green industry.” 

When anyone, let alone a top-level, international, well-accomplished executive, says this to me in the midst of cataloging his or her milestone achievements—such as dramatically increasing revenue, efficiency, and organizational prestige; adeptly handling countless mergers and acquisitions; building exceptional cross-cultural and cross-functional teams; applying proven project management and Six Sigma skills; and achieving numerous patented inventions across regulatory environments—I am astonished. I am astonished as editor-in-chief of a green information portal, and I am astonished as a communications specialist who works closely with companies, schools, recruiters, and job seekers. I am also astonished just as a thinking person. There is an apparent and unfortunate mystique built around the green industry—and, frankly, around the job search industry itself—that is completely unwarranted.

The New Clean Energy Industry

by Dan Burgess

The time for the United States to seriously invest in the burgeoning clean energy industry was yesterday. As highlighted in recent op-eds by both Thomas L. Friedman and Ronald Brownstein, we are already falling behind the competition and are losing clean energy manufacturing business to other countries. These countries, particularly China and India, have seen the proverbial writing on the wall and are attracting serious investors to their developing nations. The United States desperately needs to bring these investors to America, or we may risk becoming the ‘Detroit’ of world industrial economies.

In preparation for Cleantech Forum XVIII, a clean technology trade show earlier this month, state officials patted Massachusetts on the back for almost doubling the amount of jobs in the solar sector. Solar energy employees rose from 1,086 in 2007 to 2,075 in 2008. These employees are vital to our economy, and this should absolutely be seen as a step in the right direction to a sustainable energy future in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, this growth appears to have been almost entirely in the installation and maintenance of solar. It also seems that the majority of future funding will be going toward more training in these job fields. While growth and support of this portion of the industry is very positive, Massachusetts desperately needs new manufacturing jobs in our state - jobs like the ones that are being shipped overseas to companies in China.

Greening a New Generation: One Course at a Time

Professor George Buckley and Harvard Extension Set up a Big Tent for All Fledgling Environmentalists

by David Pierotti

By now everyone has heard of green jobs. Headlines with that phrase have been ubiquitous for months. President Obama has made them a key aspect of his economic recovery program and studies show they comprise one of the fastest growing economic sectors, even during the current recession.

But who will fill these jobs? And how will they develop the knowledge and skills to grapple with the challenges energy and environmental issues pose for every type of business?

This was not purely an academic question for me. Seeking a way to stimulate my career and my mind, I went looking for academic programs that might do both. I found a couple of gentlemen at the Harvard Extension School who have gradually been providing answers to those questions. Professor George Buckley and his fellow professor and longtime friend, John Spengler, pioneered a unique set of courses that has evolved into the Sustainability and Environmental Management degree program.