Jobs in the state’s clean energy economy grew nearly seven times faster than overall jobs between 1998 and 2007.

According to an analysis from The Pew Charitable Trusts, in those nine years jobs in Oregon’s clean energy economy increased at a rate of 50.7 percent while overall job growth expanded by 7.5 percent. Nationally, jobs in the clean energy economy grew at a rate of 9.1 percent, a press release states.

“Oregon has a large and fast-growing piece of America’s clean energy economy. It has more jobs in its clean energy sector, as a share of its overall economy, than any other state,” said Dan Lombardi, Oregon representative for the Pew Environment Group. “Oregon has attracted $70 million in clean technology venture capital in the past three years alone. Those investments, along with the state’s strong renewable energy policies, should help Oregon continue to expand its clean energy economy.”