Members of the U.S. House of Representatives took an historic step last week to address America’s economic, energy and climate challenges by passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). Unfortunately, Representative Glenn Thompson voted to protect the status quo and against advancing this legislation that will unleash investment in clean energy and, for the first time, put national limits on global warming pollution.
Having passed the House, the bill will move to the Senate where the debate will become even fiercer. At this critical moment, there are several compelling reasons why our Senators should reject the decision by Rep. Thompson and instead choose to support this legislation that will jumpstart our economy and create jobs, especially for struggling Americans.
The opposition— which is fueled by greedy polluters and special interests— has been using vicious distortions and deceitful scare tactics to prevent the bill from moving forward. These are the same groups that let gasoline reach four dollars a gallon last summer and have kept us addicted to oil thereby weakening our national security. These groups want to hold us back from unleashing investment in clean, safe energy—like wind solar and geothermal—that will lead us in a new direction and make us a leader for the 21st century.
A more serious and honest discussion centers on the impact climate legislation will have on jobs, especially for lower-income households. Until recently, this has been a one-sided discussion since we’ve lacked a solid analysis of the gains that lower-income families can have if we shift to clean-energy investment. This issue has finally been addressed by two ground-breaking new reports by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Green for All, the Center for American Progress (CAP) and the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (PERI).
Together, these reports show that an investment of $150-billion in clean energy could create more than 1.7 million jobs and raise the standard of living for millions, especially for lower-income families. A $150 billion investment is roughly the amount of investment that could be generated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and full implementation of ACES.
According to the CAP report, “Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy”, Pennsylvania’s share of the $150 billion investment in clean energy would be $6.1 billion and create 72,000 new jobs. Compared to investments in dirty energy, clean energy creates nearly four more jobs per dollar invested, and these jobs offer substantially more opportunities for higher wages and job advancement.
The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, NRDC and Green for All report, “Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United States”, shows that a $296 million investment in the 5th PA Congressional District would create 3,118 new jobs, of which 2,600 would be for workers with high school degrees or less.
The reports also show the positive impact that clean-energy investment would have on the working poor. Savings on utility bills will lead to annual reductions of more than $600 per household over the long term — a huge difference for households struggling pay check to paycheck. Included are improvements to public transportation that would provide a boost for low-income people – increasing access to jobs, childcare and other services. Transportation costs are one of the greatest burdens on families, especially at lower-income levels, and this would increase access to public transportation and lower household costs.
All of this is especially welcome news for those Americans that the recession has hit hardest: the poor or near poor. The erosion of our manufacturing base has transformed our working class into the working poor. Blue-collar employment is now replaced with dead-end jobs that have poor earning potential. In other words, these clean energy jobs can lead to family-supporting careers.
Most importantly, these reports debunk a myth that has been spreading, through rumors and mis-information, which is that vulnerable communities would have to pay the cost of these investments. On the contrary, these reports show that well-crafted energy policies can minimize the impact of these costs, while creating significant job opportunities and improvements to quality of life.
For too long, environmental protection and economic policies have been seen in conflict with each other. Now the evidence is clear: we can invest in clean energy, strengthen our economy and fight global warming. Moreover, the clean energy economy is decidedly good for the working poor. In fact, it’s good for anyone who wants to see the country come out of this recession stronger than before.
That’s why across the country and in Pennsylvania, we are seeing growing support from a diverse coalition of businesses, entrepreneurs, farmers, labor, faith groups, veterans and many others who support clean energy and climate legislation. These groups want America to move in a new direction on energy, which can be a job creator to re-charge our economy.
Americans are always known for their ingenuity and resourcefulness. Now our leaders in the Senate can help America capitalize on these qualities by investing in our clean energy future. As this legislation moves to the Senate, there will be opportunities to improve it, for example, by setting strong targets on global warming pollution and fulfilling the potential of increasing renewable energy and energy efficiency. When its their turn Senators Casey and Specter must take the opportunity to vote for progress and real solutions for America.
Jason Brady
Sierra Club/Blue-Green Alliance
Philadelphia, PA 19127
Jason Brady lives in Pennsylvania and works with the Blue-Green Alliance, a national partnership between the Sierra Club, United Steelworkers, Service Employees International Union, Communication Workers of America, Laborers International Union of North America, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Utility Workers Union of America