REPORT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Green-collar workers  from energy-efficiency consultants to wastewater plant operators  constitute a tiny but fast-growing segment of the U.S. economy, according to a study published today by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The "clean-energy economy" grew 9.1 percent between 1998 and 2007 to 777,000 jobs. While that is just half a percent of all U.S. jobs, the clean-energy economy is poised to grow significantly with financial support from the public and private sectors, the Pew report concludes.

As per reports the nation's clean-energy economy is poised for tremendous growth.

About 80 percent of venture capital investments in 2008 were in the clean energy and energy efficiency sector, broadly known as "cleantech." And while cleantech slumped with overall venture capital in the first quarter of 2009, the sector outperformed telecommunications, media and other sectors, according to an analysis of Thompson Reuters data by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association.