National renewable electricity standard would create jobs, save consumers billions, cut millions of tons of pollution
PHILADELPHIA, PA – A national renewable electricity standard requiring utilities to increase their use of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources would generate 7,250 new jobs in Pennsylvania, lower electric and natural gas bills, and slash global warming pollution, according to a new Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analysis released today by PennEnvironment. UCS examined the impact of a proposed national standard on the nation as a whole and on 20 states, including Pennsylvania.
“Turning on renewables in Pennsylvania would cut energy costs not only for individual families, but for small businesses and large energy users like steel mills,” said Nathan Willcox, Energy & Clean Air Advocate for PennEnvironment. “At the same time, increasing our use of renewable energy would help clean up air pollution and make a down payment in the fight against global warming.”
The U.S. House of Representatives may vote on renewable electricity standard legislation as early as next week. The Senate has passed a standard three times over the last five years, only to be thwarted by House inaction. The House bill (HR 969), sponsored by Reps. Tom Udall (New Mexico) and Todd Platts (Pennsylvania), would require that utilities increase their use of renewable energy to 20 percent by 2020.
Joining PennEnvironment in releasing the new report were United Steelworkers, Iberdrola Renewable Energies USA, and the Pennsylvania Interfaith Climate Change Campaign.
“A federal renewable electricity standard would allow us to take the first step towards energy independence, and it would help to revitalize our nation’s weakened manufacturing base by creating jobs in renewable industries like wind, solar and biomass,” said John DeFazio, Director of United Steelworkers (USW), District 10. “We have already seen jobs created in Pennsylvania at Gamesa wind turbine company where over 600 new USW jobs now exist on the site of a former shuttered steel mill.”
“Renewable energy is proven to create jobs, improve environmental quality, and reduce our potential need for imported fuels,” said Brent Alderfer, Executive Vice President of Iberdrola USA, the world’s largest wind farm owner and operator, with offices in Radnor, Pennsylvania. “Renewable electricity standards are a proven policy tool to achieve these goals, as demonstrated in Pennsylvania where the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard encouraged multiple investments by renewable energy companies including Iberdrola.”
“We’re now fully aware of all the damage from our reliance on fossil fuels for electricity: premature deaths from air pollution, chronic illness, growing climate instability,” said Joy Bergey, Project Director with the Pennsylvania Interfaith Climate Change Campaign. “This report paves a better path forward with clean energy. Morality and love of God’s creation compel us to turn to clean energy and pass a federal renewable energy standard.”
For Pennsylvania, UCS’s analysis found that a 20 percent national renewable electricity standard would:
• generate an annual average of more than 7,250 renewable energy jobs each year between today and 2020 in manufacturing, construction and other industries.
• be a financial boon of $1.4 billion cumulatively from today until 2020 for farmers, ranchers and rural landowners who produce biomass energy and/or lease their land to wind developers.
• save Pennsylvanians $720 million on energy bills cumulatively from today until 2020 by reducing demand for fossil fuels and lowering natural gas and electricity prices. By 2030 those cumulative savings would balloon to $1.8 billion.
Nationally, UCS’s analysis found that a 20 percent national renewable electricity standard would:
• generate an annual average of more than 185,000 total renewable energy jobs nationally between today and 2020 in manufacturing, construction and other industries.
• be a financial boon of $25.6 billion cumulatively between today and 2020 for farmers, ranchers and rural landowners who produce biomass energy and/or lease their land to wind developers.
• save consumers $10.5 billion on energy bills cumulatively from today until 2020 by reducing demand for fossil fuels and lowering natural gas and electricity prices. By 2030 those cumulative savings would balloon to $31.8 billion.
• slash global warming pollution by 223 million metric tons a year, the equivalent of taking 36.4 million cars off the road.
The Pennsylvania fact sheet for the UCS report is attached. For individual state reports and UCS’s projection of the benefits of a national standard, go to http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/clean_energy_policies/cashing-in.html.
