NC 10th nationally for 2Q clean energy jobs

North Carolina ranked 10th nationally for clean energy and transportation jobs in the second quarter, the business group Environmental Entrepreneurs said Thursday.

A report from the group says 272 new jobs, highest among states in the Southeast, were created by four announcements in the state.

The 12,500 jobs created nationally more than doubled the results from the first quarter, the group said. It attributed that to "new confidence about future clean energy growth" linked to the Environmental Protection Agency's carbon limits on power plants, announced in June.

Solar energy led all sectors with 5,300 U.S. jobs in the second quarter, followed by 2,700 in wind and major electric-car announcements by Tesla and General Motors.

Arizona led all states in new jobs, followed by California.