by Chris de Morsella, Green Economy Post Chris is the co-editor of The Green Executive Recruiter Directory. Follow Chris on Twitter @greeneconpost
The Pew Charitable Trusts “Clean Energy Economy Report“ found that in 2007 Louisiana reported 995 cleantech businesses that provided a total of 10,641 green jobs. Over the decade 1998-2007 employment in the Louisiana cleantech sector grew by 19.5% compared with a 3.0% growth in overall employment for the state over the same period.
In the aftermath of the BP oil spill that pollutes so much of the states coastline and inland waters there will be environmental remediation jobs related to wetland restoration and continued cleanup. The Green Economy Post has put together a list of resources for these types of jobs: See BP Oil Spill Employment Resources
Renewable Energy Job in Louisiana
In 2009 Louisiana had 20 renewable energy companies, and the state directly or indirectly employed 1,131 people in renewable energy jobs.
Louisiana is home to operating demonstration-scale and pilot cellulosic ethanol projects that are used to test different feedstocks for process optimization, including energy crops, wood waste, and sugarcane bagasse. The demonstration plant was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. Louisiana announced plans for a $124 million wood pellet plant that would produce 450,000 metric tons per year of wood pellets to be used as bioenergy in Europe. The facility is projected to create up to 100 new direct jobs and 273 new indirect jobs and is also projected to generate $12.9 million in new, state tax revenue and $9.6 million in new, local tax revenue over the next 10 years (Louisiana Economic Development).
Louisiana has 1 biomass plant. A typical 30 MW biopower plant employs about 120 workers (in plant and outside).
Though Louisiana itself is not a major geothermal state it benefits from growth in geothermal power by being one of the more important producers of the capital equipment that is required by geothermal energy plants. Louisiana is a supplier of power and cooling systems components needed by these installations; so the state should expect to indirectly benefit from growth in geothermal energy development in the west.
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