'Green' job market continues to experience growth

From an article by Sarah Kloepping in the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter:

MANITOWOC — Richard Larson, president of Manitowoc-based GreenSky Energetics Inc., said the industry for energy-efficiency products is growing and will continue to do so.

"The future holds higher energy costs, and might I be so bold to say you'd have to be stupid to not look at these devices, because they will definitely lower your energy costs," he said.

Larson said GreenSky, which installs solar heating systems throughout the state, does not anticipate hiring more employees in the near future, but he thinks the industry as a whole will continue to expand.

"GreenSky is not anticipating hiring more, and it's because there are more contractors now that are installing them," he said. "So, there is more competition. I think overall the industry is going to hire more. It's a win-win all the way across the board. There are no losers in this green-energy job sector scenario."

Promising future
Jenny Heinzen, wind energy technology instructor at Lakeshore Technical College, said she has witnessed many students get jobs out of school in both "small wind," which includes residential, small business and farm projects, and "big wind," or utility-scale projects.

"Three graduates are working on large wind farms in Wisconsin, and a few are working on large wind farms in other states," she said. "Additionally, at least six are employed in small wind and working in Wisconsin.