More than half a million jobs in the US could be generated by proposed energy efficiency legislation, it has been claimed.

This is the assertion of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which has estimated that thousands of new positions will be created over two years.

According to a report by the organization, 333,000 jobs could result from the green plans in 2010, with 184,000 positions created in 2011.

The proposals include provisions for funding to develop retrofit schemes for residential and commercial properties and to improve manufacturing efficiencies.

ACEEE executive director Steven Nadel remarked that many new posts will be in the service and construction industries.

"In addition, these programs would continue creating small numbers of jobs even after the stimulus period is over," he explained.

In related news, the latest Employment Trends Index for the US from the Conference Board rose in February for the sixth month in a row, climbing from 93.2 in January to 93.5.