Recent public statements promote the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) as a way to create millions of green jobs. But the esoteric definition of green jobs may deliver employment far below what these statements lead average Americans to expect. The electric sector is likely to provide less than two or three percent of these projections in terms of direct employment. Furthermore, the net jobs creation is even less if one considers the dampening affect on the economy of higher energy costs and jobs displaced by building wind projects rather than other types of power projects. If net offsets are taken into account, an aggressive build-out of renewable energy may actually result in a decrease of jobs within the economy.

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Recent public statements promote the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) as a way to create millions of green jobs. But the esoteric definition of green jobs may deliver employment far below what these statements lead average Americans to expect. The electric sector is likely to provide less than two or three percent of these projections in terms of direct employment. Furthermore, the net jobs creation is even less if one considers the dampening affect on the economy of higher energy costs and jobs displaced by building wind projects rather than other types of power projects. If net offsets are taken into account, an aggressive build-out of renewable energy may actually result in a decrease of jobs within the economy.