First, Global Insight redefines green jobs: 

“any activity that generates electricity using renewable or nuclear fuels, agriculture jobs supplying corn or soy for transportation fuel, manufacturing jobs producing goods used in renewable power generation, equipment dealers and wholesalers specializing in renewable energy or energy-efficiency products, construction and installation of energy and pollution management systems, government administration of environmental programs, and supporting jobs in the engineering, legal, research and consulting fields.”

We’ve added this to our Green Collar Jobs Definition, draft study. Second, we’ve got some new green jobs numbers: We’ll take this a step further when we conduct our own research. Key correlations between the job numbers, employers, workers and agencies will be taken into account. Much of the researchin the report is “scenario-based.”

A couple more quotes I find interesting in the report:

“In this report, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Global Insight have examined the economic benefits of the ‘Green Economy’ – that part of economic activity which is devoted to the reduction of fossil fuels, the increase of energy efficiency, and the curtailment of greenhouse gas emissions.”

The report also states in part,

“Green Jobs in 2006 were distributed across the country. Approximately 85% were located in metropolitan areas while the remaining 15% were in non-metropolitan counties.”

The footnote states,

“Green Jobs 2006 totals for Metropolitan areas include all categories except Renewable Power Generation.”

A couple paragraphs up the report states,

“We estimate that as of 2006 there were just more than 750,000 Green Jobs in the U.S. economy. More than half of existing jobs were in Engineering, Legal, Research and Consulting, revealing the importance of these indirect jobs to the Green Economy. The second largest category was Renewable Power Generation, with more than 127,000 jobs.”    

Download the full report by Global Insight in PDF format from the U.S. Global Mayors Website.  

We have provided testimony and urge you to contact both House and Senate conferees:
House Conferees
Co-Chair Kyle Yamashita  repyamashita@capitol.hawaii.gov
Co-Chair Marcus Oshiro    repmoshiro@capitol.hawaii.gov
Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu    repkaramatsu@capitol.hawaii.gov
Rep. Glenn Wakai              repwakai@capitol.hawaii.gov
Rep. Barbara Marumoto    repmarumoto@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senate Conferees
Co-Chair Carol Fukunaga   senfukunaga@capitol.hawaii.gov
Co-Chair Roz Baker           senbaker@capitol.hawaii.gov
Sen. Gary Hooser               senhooser@capitol.hawaii.gov
Sen Susanne Chun Oakland  senchunoakland@capitol.hawaii.gov

Here’s some text to cut and paste into an email to send to the above addresses.
Mahalo for taking action.

TITLE:
Testimony In Strong Opposition to SB2829 SD2 HD2

Body:
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee:
I/We strongly opposes
this bill that proposes to automatically repeal numerous tax exemptions
and credits BEFORE they are reviewed by the Department of
Taxation. This bill creates unnecessary uncertainty for businesses and
reinforces the perception that Hawaii is a bad place to do business. It
is being proposed at a time when our state and national economies are
extremely vulnerable.  When the prior HD1 of this bill was
first proposed by the House EDB Committee, it created such concern that
over 100 testimonies were submitted in overwhelming opposition, with
only two testimonies submitted in support.
Credits and Exemptions repealed by this bill that would hurt Hawaii's emerging tech sector include:
·        Renewable energy (e.g., solar and wind) tax credits;
·        Act 88 film, TV and digital media credit
·        Ethanol Facility Tax Credit;
·        General Excise Tax Exemption for federal scientific research contracts.
Other credits, exemptions and exclusions repealed by this bill include:
·        Tax credits to promote the purchase of child passenger restraint systems;
·        General excise tax for aircraft service and maintenance;
·        Low income housing;
·        Credit for school repair and maintenance;
·        The exemption for contracting or services exported out of state.

Given the broad spectrum of credits,
exemptions and exclusions  “on the chopping block” the negative effects
of this measure will substantially raise taxes and will hurt the
pocketbooks of struggling workers in our state and local businesses.

Mahalo