According to a report released by Google on June 28, 2011, breakthroughs in renewable energy technology could boost the U.S. economy by more than $155 billion a year and create more than 1.1 million new green careers by 2030. The study by the Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising giant’s philanthropic arm examined the possible benefits of aggressive innovations in renewable energy generation, grid-storage, and electric vehicle and natural gas technologies.
“This project’s analysis suggests that breakthroughs in renewable energy technologies could meaningfully improve the quality of our lives,” suggested the Google report.
The Googleplex, Google's original and largest corporate campus - Image via Wikipedia
In addition to improving the U.S. economy, development of new renewable energy technology would reduce U.S. household energy costs by $942 a year, lower oil consumption by more than 1.1 billion barrels a year and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent by 2030.
The Google analysis did not consider the best ways to drive innovation or attempt to predict what renewable energy technologies would be developed. Breakthrough levels in the Google report were also highly ambitious and “would be challenging to reach even with a much more concerted push on innovation than at present.”
Google has pledged to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in renewable energy including solar, wind and geothermal technologies to help make renewable energy costs competitive with coal.
Renewable energy policies could create 1.9 million green careers
Among SolarCity's larger projects is eBay's corporate headquarters in San Jose, CA - Image via Google
In its report, Google found that the impact of renewable energy breakthroughs would be enhanced if coupled with government policies such as a renewable energy standard that increased EPA regulations on coal or with a $30 a ton fee on carbon emitted by the power-sector. The Google report also found that renewable energy policies combined with technological breakthroughs would increase GDP by $244 billion a year and create 1.9 million green careers by 2030.
“Breakthroughs in clean [renewable] energy technology can reduce the cost associated with implementing policies such as Clean Energy Standards or carbon prices — growing the economy while de-carbonizing our energy use,” the Google report stated.
At the same time, the report said government policies can magnify the benefits of technology breakthroughs by promoting renewable energy sources over those with high emissions. Earlier this month, Google said it would finance a $280 million residential solar power project with SolarCity, a San Manteo, CA-based provider of solar energy system design, financing, installation. Google, along with several other companies, is also backing a $5 billion transmission line that would transport electricity from wind farms off the Atlantic.
About U.S. Green Technology & Green Careers
U.S. Green Technology was established in January of 2009. U.S. Green Technology‘s mission is to share news and information about the latest advancements in green technology and green careers. U.S. Green Technology‘s areas of coverage include providing information on green social media campaigns, changes in green business, spread of the green movement throughout entertainment, green technological invention, new green start-ups, green manufacturing, green building, green information technology and green careers. U.S. Green Technology offers a green careers board, powered by Simply Hired, for employers to post green careers in fields such as clean energy, green information technology, green building and green transportation.
Post a Job! $99 for 30 days
Sign-up for U.S. Green Technology‘s weekly newsletter to receive the latest green technology information, including the latest green careers, blogs, news, and events.
Related articles
- Siemens Seeks To Fill 400 Green Jobs For Building Technologies (usgreentechnology.com)
- Clean Wind Energy Tower, Inc. Files New Green Technology Patent (usgreentechnology.com)
- Republican Governor Jumps Onto Clean Energy To Create Jobs (usgreentechnology.com)
- NJR Clean Energy Ventures Invests In 4.7 Megawatt Solar Project (usgreentechnology.com)
- Johnson Controls Adds 50 Green Jobs to Toledo Technology Plant (usgreentechnology.com)
- American Superconductor and Satcon Focus On Clean Energy Jobs (usgreentechnology.com)
- Northern California Power Agency Agreement Creates Geothermal Jobs (usgreentechnology.com)
- Developing World Needs $1.35 Trillion For Green Technologies (usgreentechnology.com)
- Clean Energy Jobs Moving To The Alamo City With Help From CPS (usgreentechnology.com)
- Ecotech Institute Prepares Students For Green Technology Jobs (usgreentechnology.com)
- MarketResearch.com Reports Renewable Energy to Increase 49% (usgreentechnology.com)
- Green Column: Word Choice Matters for Energy Policy (nytimes.com)
- Study Predicts Affect Of Cloud [Green] Information Technology (usgreentechnology.com)
- Inhabitat’s Week in Green: bionic eyeglasses, renewable energy island, and a hybrid Popemobile (engadget.com)
- Algeria: The National Renewable Energy program 2011-2030 (newworldconsulting.wordpress.com)
- UN reports Global Investments in Green Energy Up Nearly a Third to US$211 billion (nextbigfuture.com)
- Govt to set up $10bn clean energy fund (news.theage.com.au)
- Renewable Energy To Create More Than 1.1 Million Green Careers (usgreentechnology.com)
- Nation lags in renewable energy (search.japantimes.co.jp)
- Your Website Can Become Green (usgreentechnology.com)
- Green Technology Becomes Online Craze (usgreentechnology.com)
- Green Technology is Gold Mine for Investing (usgreentechnology.com)
- New GE Solar Panel Factory in Colorado Planned for 2012 (usgreentechnology.com)
- It’s Not Just About Electricity Anymore at Colleges (usgreentechnology.com)
- Green Technology Dominated Five Top Stories in 2011 (usgreentechnology.com)
- Green Technology Council Gets New Leader (usgreentechnology.com)
- Bosch Green Technology (usgreentechnology.com)
- China-based Green Technology Company EKKO (usgreentechnology.com)
- VIDEO: Solar Powered Chariot Robot Brings Ancient Rome and Green Technology Together (inhabitat.com)
