According to “Sizing the Clean Economy” by the Brookings Institution: The clean economy, which employs some 2.7 million workers, encompasses a significant number of jobs in establishments spread across a diverse group of industries. Though modest in size, the clean economy employs more workers than the fossil fuel industry and bulks larger than bioscience but remains smaller than the IT-producing sectors. Most clean economy jobs reside in mature segments that cover a wide swath of activities including manufacturing and the provision of public services such as wastewater and mass transit. A smaller portion of the clean economy encompasses newer segments that respond to energy-related challenges. These include the solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, fuel cell, smart grid, biofuel, and battery industries.

In the context of the Southeast, Georgia and Metro Atlanta, where are these jobs found and what are the prospects for future job creation? [Note: for those who cannot attend in person, the event will be webcast live, and later archived on the Clean Energy Speaker Series website.]

Speakers include:

• Robert Pollin, professor of economics and co-director Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst — Pollin’s research centers on different facets of domestic and global macroeconomics and the economics of building a clean-energy economy in the U.S. Recently, he co-authored the studies “Green Recovery” (September 2008), “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy” (June 2009), and “Green Prosperity” (June 2009). Robert is currently consulting with the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Labour Organization on the economic analysis of clean-energy investments. 
• Marilyn Brown, Professor, Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Visiting Distinguished Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Brown joined Georgia Tech in 2006 after a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. At ORNL, she held various leadership positions and led several major energy technology and policy scenario studies. Dr. Brown remains affiliated with ORNL as a Visiting Distinguished Scientist. Marilyn has authored more than 200 publications including a recently published book on "Energy and American Society: Thirteen Myths." Her research interests encompass the development and deployment of sustainable energy technologies and issues surrounding the commercialization of new technologies and the evaluation of energy programs and policies. 
• Ken Ostrowski, Director, McKinsey & Company — Ostrowski is a director in McKinsey’s Atlanta Office with over 26 years of consulting experience. Over the course of his career, he has served electric power, natural gas, and industrial clients in refining their strategic, aspirations and direction, and aligning the organizational, regulatory, and operational elements necessary to execute. Mr. Ostrowski co-authored the report “Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost” and the recently released “Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy”.