The California Green Economy map features more than 2,200
businesses statewide in four categories--energy generation, energy
efficiency, green building and transportation--that are likely to grow
as California transitions to a low-carbon economy.
Companies on the map can be sorted by city, county and congressional district. The top five California counties are:
Los Angeles County - 398 companies
San Diego County - 208 companies
Orange County - 202 companies
Santa Clara County - 173 companies
Alameda County - 131 companies
"To our knowledge, this is the first
time that a map of California's green companies has been published
online, creating a visual dynamic resource for people to better
understand what a green economy looks like," said Tim O'Connor, an
attorney and California climate change analyst at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
Southern California alone has more than 1,000 green companies,
according to the Los Angeles Greenprint report, which details how the
implementation of Green LA and Solar LA initiatives proposed by Los
Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are expected produce high-quality
green jobs for people living in the Los Angeles area.
Green LA by the LA DWP
Implementation of Green LA will be overseen by the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power, the largest public power utility in the
country and the utility that uses the most solar energy nationwide. The
plan calls for fighting global warming by reducing greenhouse gas
emissions 35% below 1990 levels by 2030 through the use of renewable
energy, conservation, new green building standards and strategic land
use planning.
Solar LA
Solar LA calls for growing the region's green economy by
adding 1.3 gigawatts of solar power by 2020, enough to meet 10% of
L.A.'s energy needs and more than is currently available nationwide.
"Los Angeles and Southern California are uniquely vulnerable to climate
change because of existing pollution problems, our coastal setting and
overstretched water supplies," said Erica Fick, an EDF clean energy
fellow based in Los Angeles, who co-authored the report. "Green LA and
Solar LA will be a shot in the arm for the entire Southern California
economy, creating a lasting upswing in the manufacturing, construction,
technology, and "green" service sectors."
SOURCE:
Sustainable Business and
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
