National Findings include Growth in the Solar Industry, along with an Increase in Alternative Fueling Stations and LEED Certifications

Denver, Colorado – May 8, 2013 – Ecotech Institute today released new data from its Clean Jobs Index, which aggregates all the available clean jobs in the U.S. The Index found that there were 749,197 clean jobs posted across the United States between January 1, 2013 and March 31, 2013. The Index breaks down clean jobs by state with links to local listings, helping to fill the data gap left by the U.S. government when it recently stopped tracking green jobs due to budget cuts.

Ecotech Institute, the first and only college focused entirely on training students for solar, wind and renewable energy jobs, launched the Clean Jobs Index in January 2013, although it can pull data for all of 2012. In addition to providing objective information on jobs, the Clean Jobs Index also aggregates data on a variety of sustainability factors in all 50 states, including alternative fueling stations, LEED projects, total energy consumption, energy efficiency, green pricing, net metering and state incentives.

One area that is illustrating tremendous growth is the solar industry. In Q1 2013, the Clean Jobs Index listed more than 8,000 solar jobs with titles such as solar sales representatives, installers, solar panel manufacturers and project managers.

Highlights from the Clean Jobs Index, Q1 2013:

Number of Clean Jobs Posted in the U.S. in Q1 2013:
749,197

States with the Biggest Gains in Clean Jobs Postings from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013:
Alabama, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Vermont, West Virginia

Number of Available Alternative Fueling Stations Nationwide:
23,575, up seven percent from Q4 2012

States with the Most Alternative Fueling Stations:
California, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington

National Number of Electric Car Chargers:
16,256, up by 1,274 from Q4 2012

States with the Most Incentives for Sustainability and Renewables:
California, Oregon, Minnesota, Texas, Washington

States with the Most Growth in Available Incentives from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013:
Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oregon

New Building Space LEED Certified Within Q1 2013:
110,000,000 square feet nationally, up five percent from the previous quarter

"The Clean Jobs Index shows that there is tremendous job growth in the cleantech sector and signs of positive momentum on the state level for environmental factors that can affect us all," said Kyle Crider, Ecotech Institute's Program Chair and Manager of Environmental Operations. "When we see increases in LEED certification, we know businesses are making sustainable decisions; when we see an increase in alternative fueling stations, we know people are driving demand for greener forms of transportation. These are powerful indicators."

Ecotech Institute regularly gathers data for the Clean Jobs Index from a variety of independent research entities that develop and regularly publish cleantech information. Sources include a variety of government agencies, nonprofit organizations and businesses, including: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Green Building Council, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.

To learn more about the Clean Jobs Index, visit http://www.ecotechinstitute.com/cleanjobsindex; to learn more about Ecotech Institute, visit www.ecotechinstitute.com. To take a free online "Introduction to Sustainability" course taught by Ecotech Institute's Kyle Crider, sign up today.

About Ecotech Institute

Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America's workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges. Launched in April 2010 in Denver, Colorado, it offers eight highly practical renewable energy degree programs that provide graduates with skills valued by today's alternative renewable energy employers. Classes start once per quarter and applications are always accepted. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576.