Search query: The geopolitics of renewable energy
Video title:  and wind turbine technicians. But, green jobs are much more than that. They also include clean energy construction
workers, designers, engineers, and high-tech factory workers. It includes people who make more energy-efficient
homes, offices, and everyday things such as Energy Star appliances and electric
vehicles. Of the over 6 million people working in the
U.S. energy industry today, more than 3 million are already in these kinds of “green jobs.” These jobs aren’t just in Democratic strongholds
like California and New York, which have embraced environmental regulations. Republican-leaning states such as Iowa, Oklahoma,
Kansas, and Texas actually lead the nation in wind energy. Arizona and North Carolina, both states that
went for President Trump in 2016, are among the country’s top solar-energy producers. And the green jobs that come with this kind of production typically pay more than the national average. But as we power our lives with less fossil
fuel and more clean power, many people in traditional energy industries worry they will
be left behind. Take the coal industry. Coal jobs have been disappearing for decades
as natural gas production increased and as automation took hold in coal mines. From a high near one million workers, now less than two hundred thousand Americans make their living in coal. That's fewer than those working in solar
energy today. This change has devastated communities across
Appalachia and parts of the Midwest. Environmental regulations are often blamed
for this downturn. But, in reality, gas just became cheaper. Solar and wind are becoming more profitable
too. And the switch to clean energy has the added advantage of helping the U.S. reduce its carbon emissions. Instead of propping up dying industries and
promoting jobs that aren’t likely to rebound, state and local governments could be helping
workers make the switch to jobs in growing fields such as healthcare, information security,
and clean energy. That means funding programs that make it easier
for workers to move from one part of the country to another.