The motivation for creating green jobs is well intentioned, but not based in sound economics. Rather than create jobs, policies to encourage alternative energies merely shift jobs from one industry to another. A focus on green jobs discourages overall economic growth by redistributing private sector wealth to uncompetitive and unsustainable energy providers. Higher electricity prices hurt small businesses, resulting in fewer jobs. Heavily subsidizing “green” energy sources while simultaneously mandating their use is a prescription for economic decline rather than prosperity.