BIOMASS HUB

According to a new state survey conducted by the Kansas Department of Labor, Kansas has the potential to create up to 10,000 “green jobs” in the next two years, adding to the 20,000 people already working in that sector, the Associated Press reports.

The report was designed to gauge potential employment growth in sectors including renewable energy development, energy efficiency, agriculture and natural resource conservation, pollution prevention and remediation, and alternative transportation and fuels.  According to the report, the largest increases were expected in renewable energy, up 121 percent; energy efficiency, up 57 percent; and clean transportation and fuels, up 37 percent.

Bill Thornton, secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, said the survey supports efforts to provide programs that educate and train workers in biofuels production, installation of efficient furnaces, manufacturing of products for wind farms and dozens of other occupations.

The report was based on a voluntary survey sent to more than 6,000 Kansas employers in late 2009, with about 55 percent responding.

More on the Kansas green jobs report.