The past few weeks have been busy ones in the world of green jobs. We’ve rounded up the most important news to help you on your green job hunt:

• California’s new climate change law will add more jobs: The California Air Resources Board, tasked with monitoring state air pollution levels, projects the law will add 10,000 new jobs to the state by 2020. So if you’re in California, that’s good news!
• Smith Electric Vehicles building in Kansas City: As part of their growth in the US, Smith Electric Vehicles is now assembling their Newton medium duty electric truck in Kansas City, Missouri. They’ve also been added to the GSA purchasing schedule, which means a shot at GSA’s $1 billion per year purchasing of electric vehicles.
• Navy awards $200 million for 40 MW of solar power on US bases: The Navy choseSunEdison, AECOM Energy/Solar Power Partners Inc., SunPower Corporation, SunDurance Energy LLC, and Chevron Energy Solutions Company to construct, own, operate, and maintain the systems, selling the power to the Navy and Marine Corps through power purchase agreements.
• Biodiesel tax credit restored: The US Senate approved a massive job-creation bill  on Wednesday that restores a $1 a gallon biodiesel tax credit for 2010 that had expired at the end of last year. The US biodiesel industry employs about 23,000 people.
• Ingeteam picks Milwaukee for US wind, solar factory: Spain-based Ingeteam, a supplier to the wind and solar energy industries, will build a $15 million clean energy manufacturing facility in Milwaukee and create 275 jobs.
• Nevada lands first Chinese wind turbine factory in US: The factory, to be developed in conjunction with US Renewable Energy Group and American Nevada Group, will employ about 1,000 Nevada workers in â”high paying, long-term jobs”.

According to a new report from Clean Edge, the markets for solar, wind, and biofuels have expanded by 11.4% globally, to a total revenue of $139 billion. Despite the ongoing effects of the recession, the report notes that global production of biodiesel and ethanol continues to grow. China now accounts for almost one-third of the new wind installations.

Interestingly, solar has grown six-fold over the past five years, but industry revenue fell in 2009 because of rapidly falling photovoltaic panel prices. The drop in panel prices is expected to spur additional installations, however.

Solar and wind account for over 830,000 jobs worldwide. This number is expected to grow to 3.3 million by 2019.

Here’s our latest roundup of news related to current and planned green jobs:

• eSolar and NRG agree on partnership:   NRG Energy, one of the United States’ most coal-dependent utilities, has signed a deal with California startup eSolar to develop solar power plants. Read more…
• Distributed solar is creating jobs: In California, regulators authorized the utility Southern California Edison’s program to install 500 megawatts of solar on commercial rooftops. Also, the New York Power Authority announced a program to install 100 megawatts of solar arrays around the state. Read more…
• San Francisco readies for electric cars: The San Francisco building code will soon be revised to require that new structures be wired for car chargers. Read more…
• Financing spurs building retrofits: On the heels of San Francisco’s announcement last week that it plans to spend $150 million greening up homes, comes a new report that studies a slew of other innovative ways to finance energy efficiency improvements for all types of buildings. Read more…
• NV Energy and NextLight Renewable Power Sign 25-Year Power Purchase Agreement for Solar Project: The project will employ up to 230 workers during construction and is targeted for initial energy deliveries in May 2011. Read more…
• More wind power in Nebraska: The Nebraska Public Power District, along with Midwest Wind Energy, Edison Mission Group, and EMG affiliate Laredo Ridge Wind, have announced the signing of a 20-year power purchase agreement that will pave the way for construction of an 80-megawatt wind farm near Petersburg, Nebraska. Read more…

A quick rundown of green jobs news for the week:

• Green jobs in the midwest: A new report from the Univ. of Michigan and the Climate Group could add up to 100,000 new jobs in the midwest from wind turbines, hybrid vehicles manufacturing, and other low carbon technologies.
• Climate change creates more jobs: Revenues from energy efficiency, renewables, and other climate-related sectors could top $2 trillion by 2020, according to a report by HSBC Global Research. Growth of this magnitude will fuel increased job opportunities.
• Wind power is going strong: The world’s wind power capacity grew by 31% in 2009, with new wind developments representing more than $2.2 billion in investments.
• Hawaiian solar: Hoku Scientific and Tianwei are investing $50 million in solar projects throughout Hawaii - creating jobs for both installation and operation of the projects.

With 24-hour news stations, the internet, and radio spewing news at you, sometimes it’s easy to miss what’s important. In this case, news about green jobs, currently available and soon to be. So we’ve rounded up some recent items that may affect your own job search - in a positive way:

• Samsung Signs $6.6 Billion Deal to Build Wind and Solar Power in Ontario- Under the terms of the agreement, officials said, Samsung must build four manufacturing plants in Ontario, promising 16,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next five years. The energy generated will be enough for 580,000 homes.
• More solar power to be built in 2010: Between 500 and 600 megawatts of solar power will be built this year across the United States €” about double the figure of last year — according to Larry Sherwood, who compiles and studies such data as a consultant to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, a nonprofit industry group. Key employers would be Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric.
• Indiana Chosen for Electric-Car Plant: The Think City, a battery-powered, two-seat hatchback, is set to begin rolling off the Indiana assembly line in early 2011, ramping up to a potential annual production of 20,000 cars by 2013. Think said it will spend more than $43 million to upgrade the Elkhart factory, which is expected to eventually employ more than 400 workers.
• Confluence Solar to Invest $200 Million in Tennessee Manufacturing and Distribution Facility: Innovation Valley Inc., a regional economic development initiative of Knoxville and Oakridge Tennessee has announced that Confluence Solar will invest $200 million in a manufacturing, warehousing and distribution facility in Clinton, Tennessee, near Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
• Tesla officially calls Chicago home: It appears Tesla Motors has truly sweetened up their Chicago home and officially opened its Windy City doors.

Each of these represent new green jobs - so get hunting and good luck!

The green economy is all over - but some places provide more fertile ground for green job seekers. In a recent report by Jim Motavalli on The Daily Green, 5 cities are singled out for their growth in green jobs.

Growth in the green sector has been strong - and as many as 1.9 million jobs are expected by 2020 from the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The stimulus bill is pumping $30 billion into the clean energy sector alone.

Without further ado, here are the top cities for green jobs:

1) New York City: The city has just launched PlaNYC, which includes 127 initiatives for greening the city - plus $1 billion retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency. Interestingly enough, EarthLab Foundation ranks NYC as the 2nd greenest city in the US in terms of carbon output.

2) San Francisco: � California leads the nation in clean energy jobs, and many of those are in the San Francisco area. Voters recently approved $100 million in revenue bonds to support renewable energy, and 20 big construction projects have applied for LEED certification.

3) Boston: The number three energy source in this city is wind power! The city is home to multiple universities, green companies, and R&D firms - all combining to create a steady flow of new green jobs.

4) Detroit: Despite Michigan’s 15.3% unemployment rate, Detroit has benefited from DOE funding for green tech initiatives that aim to employ skilled labor in the area. There are a cluster of companies tied to green transportation in the area, and abandoned industrial plants have been converted to new incubators for solar and wind companies.

5) Portland: The Oregon city has a lengthy environmental heritage and is ranked most friendly to bikes in the nation. The state has almost 20,000 green jobs, many of them located in Portland.

You should also take a look at Clean Edge’s list of the 15 best areas for clean tech jobs, which includes Houston, Phoenix, and Austin.

The first thing most job seekers interested in green jobs ask is “What exactly is a green job?” Honestly, this is a pretty tough question to answer - apart from obvious professions such as renewable energy and green building, many jobs fall into a gray (rather than green) area.

Perhaps a better question to ask is: “What are the top green jobs available?” Luckily, we’re not the first to ask this - so without further ado, here are a few useful lists to get you thinking about your green careers:

From Forbes: 6-figure green jobs:

1. Chief Sustainability Officer (Chief Environmental Officer/ Chief Green Officer)
2. Environmental Lawyer
3. Environmental Engineer
4. Climatologist/Environmental Meteorologist
5. Renewable Energy Manager
6. Environmental Specialist/Scientist
7. Senior Urban Planner
8. Commercial/Industrial Designer
9. Conservation Scientist
10. Senior Hydrologist

From CareerBuilder: Top 25 green gigs:

1. Hydrologist
2. Environmental Engineer
3. Pest Control Technician
4. Conservation Biologist
5. Science Teacher
6. Toxicologist
7. Pollution Control Technician
8. Fund-raising Director
9. Ecologist
10. Camp Counselor
11. Business Manager
12. Economist
13. Forester
14. Environmental Attorney
15. Community Affairs Manager
16. Environmental Health and Safety Technician
17. Landscape Architect
18. Waste Disposal Manager
19. Environmental Chemist
20. Corporate Waste Compliance Coordinator
21. Urban and Regional Planner
22. Agricultural Inspector
23. Wastewater Water Operator
24. Wildlife Biologist
25. Pollution Control Engineer

From Boston.com: Green-collar jobs:

1. Green Interior Designer
2. Eco-Friendly Furniture Builder
3. Green Landscape Architect
4. Green Fashion Designer
5. Environmental Scientist and Hydrologist
6. Protection Technician
7. Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer
8. Construction Manager
9. Farm, Ranch, and Agricultural Manager Specializing in Organic Production
10. Financial Analyst/Adviser Specializing in Socially Responsible Investing
11. Solar Installer
12. Sustainable-Design Architect
13. Environmental Lawyer
14. Fuel-Cell Entrepreneur
15. Environmental Engineer

Start searching!