The US state of California is leading the nation in the growth of green economy, according to a new study.

In the so-called "Golden State," green energy investments from 1998 to 2007 generated 15 percent more jobs than did the state economy overall despite the dot-com bust in the early 2000s and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, said the study published by the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.

During that period, California's clean jobs total rose 7.7 percent compared with 6.7 percent for the state's overall job growth, according to the study conducted by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Even in the current economic downturn, investments in venture capital projects such as energy-efficiency programs and renewable energy are expected to continue expanding, fueled by billions of dollars in federal economic recovery grants, the study said.

California led the nation in all categories measured. In 2007 alone, clean energy spurred the opening of 10,209 businesses with 125,390 jobs in the state. Venture capital investments in the state totaled nearly 6.6 billion dollars from 2006 to 2008, about five times greater than investments in runner-up Massachusetts.

"California is a leader in America's clean energy economy and always has been," said Lori Grange, interim deputy director of the foundation's Pew Center on the States.

The pace of green jobs growth was greater proportionately in the rest of the nation, possibly because other states had smaller green sectors to begin with. The number of new environment-related jobs grew 9.1 percent in the nine-year span ending in 2007 -- 2.5 times faster than the US workforce as a whole, the Pew study said.

The new jobs pay anywhere from US$21,000 to 111,000 a year for various positions including clerks, construction workers, skilled craftsmen and engineers, according to the study.

Fields that will need more workers include clean energy production, energy efficiency, environmentally-friendly manufacturing, and conservation and pollution control, said the study.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2009)