Green jobs in Rural America

August 21st, 2009 by

Most of the talk about green job development has focused on urban areas, especially depressed, inner cities.  But yesterday the conversation turned towards Rural America, and what’s already been accomplished there.

The conversation was initiated by Repower America, who held a press conference in Howard, SD to show their support for The American Clean Energy and Security Act.  The organization believes the legislation could help bring 5,000 new jobs to South Dakota. 

Because it is home to two wind energy companies, Howard (pop. 1071) was the perfect community to showcase this potential.  Those two companies, Knight & Carver Wind Group and Energy Maintenance Service, offer good paying jobs that have helped diversify the town’s economy.

What’s exciting is that this is just the start. An article in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader quotes Sam Brown, Knight & Carver’s President saying:

South Dakota “has made it easy to come here,” Brown said. “We’re interested in staying – and expanding. This legislation helps us move in that direction.”

There are a lot of pros and cons to this proposed legislation, and I’ll let readers make up their own minds on it.  But I hope people keep in mind that green job development has already stimulated the economy of at least one rural community.  And that the future could be even greater. 

Photo: Gary Kanaby, Knight & Carver VP of Sales, speaks at the groundbreaking ceramony in Aug. 2006.

Note: Howard was an early pioneer in wind energy industry.  Back in 2001, they became the first community in South Dakota to own and operate their own wind turbines.

PS (8-24-09) –Based on a few a few conversations I’ve received since first publishing, some people may have taken this post as advocacy for The America Clean Energy and Security Act.  Admittedly, I don’t know enough about the legislation to take a strong stance for or against it.  What I do hope to see more support for is smart grid technology. It offers the opportunity for the innovation needed to bring clearner sources of energy into the mainstream.  To learn more, read here and here.

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