Indeed, "the hollowing out of the middle class" has become a well-worn phrase. Long term unemployment is at record levels. Income inequality today is comparable to that of the Gilded Age. Manufacturing jobs have shifted to low-wage countries. Yet, despite these trends, a gridlocked U.S. Congress has failed to adopt robust policies to stoke middle-class jobs in America.

A clear example where the lack of comprehensive national policy is affecting industry and job growth is in the advanced energy sector. With the explosive global growth of energy consumption, the U.S. has the opportunity to supply the products and solutions that will address the world's clean energy needs and create good-paying jobs at home. Our economic competitors are active, only too pleased to take advantage of U.S. passivity in creating clean energy products for export.

The American Jobs Project is a national research project focused on constructing state-specific policy and technology roadmaps to create good-paying middle class jobs in clean energy economic clusters in ten key states: Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia. The research will be completed during the summer of 2015, and the state reports will be posted via this page.

For more information contact Hank Love at hanklove@americanjobsproject.us or (517) 899-5847.