Here’s our latest roundup of news related to current and planned green jobs:

• eSolar and NRG agree on partnership:  NRG Energy, one of the United States’ most coal-dependent utilities, has signed a deal with California startup eSolar to develop solar power plants. Read more…
• Distributed solar is creating jobs: In California, regulators authorized the utility Southern California Edison’s program to install 500 megawatts of solar on commercial rooftops. Also, the New York Power Authority announced a program to install 100 megawatts of solar arrays around the state. Read more…
• San Francisco readies for electric cars: The San Francisco building code will soon be revised to require that new structures be wired for car chargers. Read more…
• Financing spurs building retrofits: On the heels of San Francisco’s announcement last week that it plans to spend $150 million greening up homes, comes a new report that studies a slew of other innovative ways to finance energy efficiency improvements for all types of buildings. Read more…
• NV Energy and NextLight Renewable Power Sign 25-Year Power Purchase Agreement for Solar Project: The project will employ up to 230 workers during construction and is targeted for initial energy deliveries in May 2011. Read more…
• More wind power in Nebraska: The Nebraska Public Power District, along with Midwest Wind Energy, Edison Mission Group, and EMG affiliate Laredo Ridge Wind, have announced the signing of a 20-year power purchase agreement that will pave the way for construction of an 80-megawatt wind farm near Petersburg, Nebraska. Read more…

The solar-energy industry is in the midst of dramatic job surge. A 2008 report from the United Nations Environment Programme found that the solar photovoltaic industry employed 170,000 people worldwide. That number is likely to increase dramatically over the next decade, especially with government initiatives to boost the industry, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.To see how people with diverse backgrounds are taking advantage of this budding industry, see this collection of solar job profiles from the Solar Energy Industries Association website.

According to a recent report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the solar industry could be responsible for 880,000 new jobs in the United States by the end of the decade. The association says the solar energy industry is capable of growing to the point of producing 15 percent of U.S. energy by 2020.But the SEIA says this depends on whether the federal government equals out the amount of subsidies given to conventional- (coal, oil) and solar-energy industries — either by decreasing the amount of subsidies given to conventional energy or by increasing the amount given to solar energy.

The Environmental Law Institute reports that between 2002 and 2008, the federal government gave fossil-fuel industries $72 billion in subsidies. Over that same time period, renewable-energy industries received $29 billion, about half of which went toward the production of ethanol. More balanced federal subsidies would allow the solar-energy industry to offer more competitive energy prices.

If the solar-energy industry is able to increase its share of the energy market to the predicted 15 percent, the SEIA says it would cut U.S. energy-related emissions by 10 percent.

(By Sean Rosner)

A quick rundown of green jobs news for the week:

• Green jobs in the midwest: A new report from the Univ. of Michigan and the Climate Group could add up to 100,000 new jobs in the midwest from wind turbines, hybrid vehicles manufacturing, and other low carbon technologies.
• Climate change creates more jobs: Revenues from energy efficiency, renewables, and other climate-related sectors could top $2 trillion by 2020, according to a report by HSBC Global Research. Growth of this magnitude will fuel increased job opportunities.
• Wind power is going strong: The world’s wind power capacity grew by 31% in 2009, with new wind developments representing more than $2.2 billion in investments.
• Hawaiian solar: Hoku Scientific and Tianwei are investing $50 million in solar projects throughout Hawaii - creating jobs for both installation and operation of the projects.

As part of our ongoing review of green job opportunities by sector, we’re focusing today on environmental engineering. This is a broad sector, ranging from companies that specialize in environmental impact statements, to companies working on recycling, and beyond.

Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the environment (air, water, and/or land resources), to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites.

Here are some of the positions you’ll find in this sector:

• water and wastewater engineer
• environmental and safety manager
• air quality engineer
• hazardous waste engineer
• solid waste manager
• civil engineers
• sanitary engineers
• industrial hygienist
• laboratory analyst
• land management specialist

Potential employers include private consulting engineering firms, all types of government (local, state, federal), universities, corporations, and testing laboratories. Demand for most environmental engineering positions has consistently outstripped demand for the past several decades.

How to start? For all positions, you need a B.S. in engineering - usually civil, chemical, mechanical, or environmental. Many employers prefer a M.S. in environmental engineering. A big plus is strong communication skills, as many environmental engineering positions require interaction with non-engineers.

A good place to start looking for your environmental engineering position, of course, is on Great Green Careers. Also check local, state, and federal job listings. Good luck!

With 24-hour news stations, the internet, and radio spewing news at you, sometimes it’s easy to miss what’s important. In this case, news about green jobs, currently available and soon to be. So we’ve rounded up some recent items that may affect your own job search - in a positive way:

• Samsung Signs $6.6 Billion Deal to Build Wind and Solar Power in Ontario- Under the terms of the agreement, officials said, Samsung must build four manufacturing plants in Ontario, promising 16,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next five years. The energy generated will be enough for 580,000 homes.
• More solar power to be built in 2010: Between 500 and 600 megawatts of solar power will be built this year across the United States — about double the figure of last year — according to Larry Sherwood, who compiles and studies such data as a consultant to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, a nonprofit industry group. Key employers would be Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric.
• Indiana Chosen for Electric-Car Plant: The Think City, a battery-powered, two-seat hatchback, is set to begin rolling off the Indiana assembly line in early 2011, ramping up to a potential annual production of 20,000 cars by 2013. Think said it will spend more than $43 million to upgrade the Elkhart factory, which is expected to eventually employ more than 400 workers.
• Confluence Solar to Invest $200 Million in Tennessee Manufacturing and Distribution Facility: Innovation Valley Inc., a regional economic development initiative of Knoxville and Oakridge Tennessee has announced that Confluence Solar will invest $200 million in a manufacturing, warehousing and distribution facility in Clinton, Tennessee, near Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
• Tesla officially calls Chicago home: It appears Tesla Motors has truly sweetened up their Chicago home and officially opened its Windy City doors.

Each of these represent new green jobs - so get hunting and good luck!

We’ll be looking at green jobs by sector over the next several weeks. One of the areas that has gotten less attention than others is energy conservation and efficiency. Perhaps it’s because these jobs are less sexy or cutting edge - but the fact remains that the retrofitting of buildings over the next decade will continue to be a growth industry.

What types of jobs are part of this sector?

• Installers of insulation, weatherstripping, etc.: To do the hands-on work of improving building efficiency
• Building energy analysts, building inspectors, etc.: To analyze structures and determine retrofitting needs
• Mechanical engineers, industrial energy efficiency engineers, etc.: To create the schematics and technical plans necessary for implementing efficiencies
• Sales and marketing professionals: To sell energy conservation and efficiency solutions to residential, commercial, and industrial customers
• Technical writers: To translate technical materials and instructions into language end users can understand
• Instructors and educators, outreach professionals, etc.: To train prospective job seekers, customers, and others in energy conservation and efficiency
• Project managers: To manage building retrofitting projects

As you can see, energy conservation and efficiency jobs run the gamut, encompassing numerous disciplines. The important thing to remember from a job seeker’s point of view is that the Federal government has injected substantial funding for this type of work at both the national and state level. Part of that money has been earmarked for training. So if you’re in a different but related field now, you may be able to have all or a portion of your retraining costs covered.

Where to start? First, as always, spend some time assessing your skills and interests. Which energy conservation jobs appeal to you? Next, determine what additional training you need to land the job you want. Some companies may be willing to take you on as a trainee or intern; others rely on community colleges and vocational schools for their new employees.

Finally, approach your job search in a methodical, thorough manner - don’t expect an energy conservation job to fall in your lap! Identify companies and organizations in your area that employ people in your target job. Use job sites (such as Great Green Careers) to locate advertised jobs. And don’t give up - energy conservation employment will continue to grow for years to come!

The green economy is all over - but some places provide more fertile ground for green job seekers. In a recent report by Jim Motavalli on The Daily Green, 5 cities are singled out for their growth in green jobs.

Growth in the green sector has been strong - and as many as 1.9 million jobs are expected by 2020 from the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The stimulus bill is pumping $30 billion into the clean energy sector alone.

Without further ado, here are the top cities for green jobs:

1) New York City: The city has just launched PlaNYC, which includes 127 initiatives for greening the city - plus $1 billion retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency. Interestingly enough, EarthLab Foundation ranks NYC as the 2nd greenest city in the US in terms of carbon output.

2) San Francisco:  California leads the nation in clean energy jobs, and many of those are in the San Francisco area. Voters recently approved $100 million in revenue bonds to support renewable energy, and 20 big construction projects have applied for LEED certification.

3) Boston: The number three energy source in this city is wind power! The city is home to multiple universities, green companies, and R&D firms - all combining to create a steady flow of new green jobs.

4) Detroit: Despite Michigan’s 15.3% unemployment rate, Detroit has benefited from DOE funding for green tech initiatives that aim to employ skilled labor in the area. There are a cluster of companies tied to green transportation in the area, and abandoned industrial plants have been converted to new incubators for solar and wind companies.

5) Portland: The Oregon city has a lengthy environmental heritage and is ranked most friendly to bikes in the nation. The state has almost 20,000 green jobs, many of them located in Portland.

You should also take a look at Clean Edge’s list of the 15 best areas for clean tech jobs, which includes Houston, Phoenix, and Austin.