Tennessee Fares Well in the New Clean Energy Economy

A new study ranks Tennessee among the top three states with the largest and fastest-growing “clean energy economies.”

The Pew Charitable Trusts reports that some 15,500 clean energy jobs have emerged in Tennessee. Kil Huh is study’s the project director.

“Those are jobs that are responsible for mitigating pollution, recycling, as well as clean up, and that’s pretty much reflective of a trend we’re seeing across the United States because that’s where public policy has been for the last 30 years or so.”

The Pew report spans from 1998 to 2007 and does not take into account either the national recession or more recent investments in solar technology in Tennessee. Hemlock Semiconductor and Wacker Chemie AG are each building billion-dollar plants in the state. Both will produce key components for solar panels.

Huh also notes that Tennessee-based Nissan is working on a zero-emissions car.