"Oklahoma Green" is a comprehensive training-certification-placement strategy whereby consortia help participants succeed to earn wages significantly higher than the state average. The project will also provide an infrastructure for building a sustainable “green jobs” workforce pipeline for the future. The goal is to increase training capacity, number of workers certified in energy efficiency/renewable energy occupations and to assist employers within targeted industries become more energy efficient and utilize related technologies.

"Green Jobs" are jobs involved in economic activities that help protect or restore the environment or conserve natural resources. These jobs are either in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources or in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.  They include:

• Renewable Energy
• Energy Efficiency
• Greenhouse Gas Reduction
• Pollution Reduction & Cleanup
• Recycling and Waste Reduction
• Agricultural and Natural Resources Conservation
• Education, Compliance, Public Awareness and Training

Green Goods & Services

1. Direct Green Goods and Services – pollution control equip; weatherizing buildings

2. Indirect Green Goods and Services – electricity produced from renewable sources, hybrid vehicles,

3. Specialized Inputs – wind turbine blades, USDA approved organic fertilizers

"Oklahoma Green" has three major initiatives that work in tandem for “green” jobs in Oklahoma:

1.    Establishment and provision of training: 

a.    Occupational Skills Training to be conducted by a consortium (due 9/30/2010)
b.    OU Lean & Green Training
c.    Center for Energy Excellence and Innovation (Tulsa Community College)
d.    Summer Teacher Academy

2.  Augmentation of a statewide real-time data career placement platform, and

3. Coordination and leveraging of statewide “green” activities that support “green” jobs in Oklahoma; the end result will be an updated 10 year Energy Sector Strategy.

These initiatives complement Oklahoma’s energy policy foundation that strives to:

1. Develop the full potential of Oklahoma’s green energy industries, particularly wind, biofuels, and solar; while simultaneously continuing to explore ways to use natural gas as a complementary fuel to these green, renewable resources.

2. Realize the importance of petroleum production to our state and the nation while working with industry and its workers to make the production, refining and transport of petroleum products more environmentally friendly.

3. Develop an entrepreneurial culture in the state among business, government and citizens for energy efficiency and development of renewable energy resources

4. Work with industry sectors to incorporate green methods and innovations into everyday business operations.

5. Train Oklahoma’s workforce, throughout all industry sectors, to “think green” and bring energy efficiency practices to the workplace.