This is a big week in Washington for clean energy legislation. Marathon hearings are taking place in the U.S. Senate. Yesterday, President Obama announced the largest investment in energy grid technology in U.S. history. And Vice President Biden let us know that Fisker Automotive is re-opening a shuttered former GM factory in Wilmington, Delaware.
Today, the Senate EPW Committee explores clean energy jobs during the 2nd day of hearings on the Clean Energy Jobs and America's Power Act.
One of the key benefits of climate legislation is that done right, it will repower the US economy by restoring America's leadership in clean energy and clean technologies, driving forward an industry with major growth potential and creating millions of new jobs and businesses in the process.
Earlier this week, business groups released new analysis showing that comprehensive clean energy legislation would create up to 1.9 million new jobs nationally, increase yearly household income by up to $1,175 and boost annual GDP by up to $111 billion by 2020.
These findings, produced through a joint economic modeling effort by the University of Illinois, Yale University and the University of California, show that clean energy legislation would limit pollution and drive large-scale investments in clean energy and energy efficiency.
If the final climate legislation puts a very strong emphasis on energy efficiency, it will create new jobs and raise household incomes in nearly state in the nation, as this state-by-state breakdown of the data shows.
And members of the EPW Committee should know that each of their states stands to gain:
|
State (EPW Senator) |
Job Creation |
Impact on Household Income |
|
California (Senator Boxer) |
Create 226 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,477/yr.
|
|
Delaware (Senator Carper) |
Create 7 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,416/yr . |
|
Idaho (Senator Crapo) |
Create 14 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,149/yr.
|
|
Louisiana (Senator Vitter) |
Create 22 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,582/yr.
|
|
Maryland (Senator Cardin) |
Create 71 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $2,172/yr.
|
|
Minnesota (Senator Klobuchar) |
Create 38 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,240/yr.
|
|
Missouri (Senator Bond) |
Create 29 thousand jobs; |
Raise average income by $892/yr.
|
|
Montana (Senator Baucus) |
Create 18 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,736/yr.
|
|
New Jersey (Senator Lautenberg) |
Create 11 thousand jobs |
Negligible impact
|
|
New Mexico (Senator Udall) |
Create 15 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,309/yr.
|
|
New York (Senator Gillibrand) |
Create 126 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,580/yr.
|
|
Ohio (Senator Voinovich) |
Create 61 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $992/yr.
|
|
Oklahoma (Senator Inhofe) |
Create 20 thousand jobs; |
Raise average income by $986/yr.
|
|
Oregon (Senator Merkley) |
Create 26 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $941/yr.
|
|
Pennsylvania (Senator Specter) |
Create 78 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,092/yr.
|
|
Rhode Island (Senator Whitehouse) |
Create 8 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,172/yr.
|
|
Tennessee (Senator Alexander) |
Create 20 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $406/yr.
|
|
Vermont (Senator Sanders) |
Create 8 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $1,535/yr.
|
|
Wyoming (Senator Barrasso) |
Create 20 thousand jobs |
Raise average income by $9,862/yr.
|
Note: All figures economic projections for 2020.
What kinds of jobs are these? These are good jobs in manufacturing, trucking and technology, across all sectors and all education levels.
Well, we've been talking to men and women employed in the clean energy industry and find there are a whole lot of stories. We've posted several here.
Here's a great story. Kelly Moore is a Navy vet who was in charge of munitions, a responsibility that required her to get to know hydraulic systems used with the Navy's 5-inch gun. Her experience with hydraulics is a plus for her in her job with Clipper Wind.