MANY SHADES OF GREEN: SAN DIEGO'S GREEN JOBS KEEP ON GROWING

By: Jeremy Los

January 30, 2011 (San Diego) – The green economy is booming in San Diego County and California as a whole. In a new study titled Many Shades of Green: Diversity and Distribution of California’s Green Jobs, Next10.org finds that California’s green economy has boasted persistent growth and now encompasses over 174,000 jobs in the state. 

Between January 2008 and January 2009, the growth rate was highest in San Diego and the Bay Area; San Diego’s green jobs rate grew 7 percent while the Bay Area saw an 8 percent growth.

San Diego’s green economy has been powered by three main components: energy generation, water & wastewater and clean transportation.

According to the report San Diego County accounts for 11 percent of the California’s core green economy. The county has also seen a growth of 6.5 percent in the green economy from January 2008 to January 2009.

In nearby Imperial County, employment in alternative fuels has expanded 700 percent since 1995. Wastewater treatment during this time has seen its employment double in size adding upwards of 300 jobs.

With the rejection of proposition 23 in November the state of California has established itself as a leader in the fight to protect the environment, while also taking the lead in developing green technologies—and green jobs.