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representing America’s renewable energy industries announced a major
new study showing that a 25% by 2025 national Renewable Electricity
Standard (RES) would support hundreds of thousands of new American jobs
and prevent a near-term collapse in some industries.
Job growth in the
wind, solar, biomass, waste-to-energy and hydropower industries would
particularly benefit the Southeastern U.S. and manufacturing states
whose Senators have questioned the viability of renewable electricity.
The Jobs Impact of a National Renewable Electricity Standard study,
conducted by independent firm Navigant Consulting, Inc…and released by
the RES Alliance for Jobs, found that a 25% by 2025 national RES would
support an additional 274,000 renewable energy jobs - the equivalent of
a cumulative 2.36 million job-years of work – over a no-national policy
option. This total is also significantly higher than the expected jobs
supported in the [pending] House and Senate provisions…[T]he study
found that without stronger near-term targets…[the New Energy
industries] will experience flat job growth and long-term
stagnation…[and] the U.S. biomass industry could collapse altogether.
The RES Alliance recommends raising near-term RES targets in federal
legislation to 12% in 2014 and 20% in 2020…
Southeastern
states like Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee Georgia and
Florida…[will] benefit from substantial biomass and municipal solid
waste-to-energy…Traditional manufacturing states like Ohio, Michigan,
Pennsylvania and Indiana…will gain from growth in a wide range of
technologies…Midwestern states like North and South Dakota, Iowa,
Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois, [are] home to major wind resources…
click to enlarge
[In]
Western states like Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and California…solar,
wind and hydropower have significant growth potential [with a strong
RES]… [It will drive new growth in states] that do not currently have
renewables standards or targets like Indiana, Florida, Virginia,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Alabama…States
that would lose renewable electricity jobs unless a national policy is
passed, like Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Delaware,
Maryland, Texas, Oklahoma and South Carolina [will also beneifit]…
click to enlarge
The
study emphasizes that while tax credits continue to play a critically
important role in preserving the viability of existing facilities, an
RES is needed in order to support both near- and long-term
investments…The benefits of an RES for Southern states are significant,
given skepticism among many Southern Senators about the benefits of a
national energy policy for their states…
The RES
Alliance/Navigant Consulting study is the first to examine the job
impacts in these five industries across states in both the near- and
long-term. Its findings come as lawmakers and advocates note the rapid
expansion of competing cleantech industries in China and the European
Union…In June 2009, the House of Representatives passed the American
Clean Energy Security Act (Waxman-Markey), which would set a national
RES of 20% by 2020 and allow up to 8% of the standard to be met through
energy efficiency improvements. Also in June, the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee passed the American Clean Energy Leadership
Act with a target of 15% by 2021 and allow up to 4% of the standard to
be met through energy efficiency improvement…
posted by Herman K. Trabish
Stronger
National Renewable Electricity Standard Needed for Significant Clean
Energy Job Stability and Growth, Study Finds; Higher near- and
long-term targets would support 274,000 additional jobs nationwide;
Southeast, traditional manufacturing states to benefit most
February 4, 2010 (Business Wire)
