This second edition of Many Shades of Green: Regional Distribution and Trends in California’s Green Economy, tracks employment and business growth related to products and services that improve efficiencies in the consumption of all natural resources and reduce negative environmental impacts. The results presented here offer new evidence that Californians are forward-thinking people, creators of cutting-edge technology and nimble prospectors adept at finding new opportunity in a changing context. Based on this research, we can conclude that California’s green economy has continued to grow in the current downturn, and opportunities are growing across the state’s eleven economic regions. This includes Employment in the Core Green Economy has expanded 56 percent since 1995, while total state employment grew by just 18 percent. In the most recent observable 12-month period (January 2008 to 2009), green employment increased by three percent while growth in total employment was less than one percent; Recent employment growth has been exceptionally strong in Energy Generation, Energy Storage and Clean Transportation. California’s green economy is diverse with strong employment shares in manufacturing. Manufacturing employment represents 26 percent of all green employment but only 11 percent
of California’s total employment.