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Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United StatesJune 2009 “Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United States,” by Robert Pollin, Jeannette Wicks-Lim, and Heidi Garrett-Peltier (co-commissioned by Natural Resources Defense Council and Green For All), considers the employment and other policy effects of a $150 billion annual investment in clean energy (from a combination of public and private sources) in terms of its ability to raise living standards for lower-income workers and families. This report shows that investments in clean energy can benefit lower-income families first by expanding job opportunities, and also by lowering household utility bills through energy efficiency investments and transportation costs by making public transportation more accessible. Together with the co-released report "Economic Benefits," (above) these reports significantly strengthen our understanding of how a transition to a clean-energy economy can play a major part in lifting the U.S. out of the current recession, and setting us on a course towards both environmental sustainability and raising living standards, especially for lower-income workers and their families. The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean EnergyJune 2009 “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy: How the Economic Stimulus Program and New Legislation Can Boost U.S. Economic Growth and Employment,” by Robert Pollin, James Heintz, and Heidi Garrett-Peltier, (commissioned by the Center for American Progress) assesses the cumulative economic impact of the clean-energy aspects of the American Clean Energy and Security Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and estimates the employment effects of the $150 billion in annual public and especially private clean-energy investment they are likely to encourage. The study also considers the potential impact of these policy initiatives on long-term economic growth, and assesses the range of models which have been used to estimate the economic impact of cap-and-trade legislation. "Economic Benefits" includes fact sheets for each of the fifty states which show the specific clean-energy investment level likely to occur in that state, and estimate the statewide macroeconomic impacts of that investment. >> Download “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy" Cap-and-Dividend in the Congressional DebateMay 2009 In his testimony for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, James K. Boyce, Director of PERI's Development, Peacebuilding & the Environment program, describes the specifics of a cap-and-dividend approach to carbon capping, arguing that this approach would not only address global warming and energy independence, but would do so in a way that strengthens the economic well-being >> Download Professor Boyce's testimony A Green Economy for OntarioMay 2009 In this study of Ontario’s green economy, Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett-Peltier estimate the employment effects of the green investment program proposed by Premier Dalton McGuinty in Ontario. They focus on two alternative investment scenarios for the province: a baseline program of $18.6 billion invested in conservation and demand management; hydroelectric power; on-shore wind power; bioenergy; waste energy recycling; and solar power over 10 years, and a more ambitious $47.1 billion 10-year investment program, also investing in off-shore wind power and a smart grid electrical transmission system. They describe the jobs created by these strategies, and recommend ways for the province to maximize the quantity and quality of those jobs. >> Download “Building the Green Economy: Employment Effects of Green Energy Investments for Ontario" State Economic Forecasts under Cap-and-Trade LegislationApril 2009 Several organizations have attempted to forecast the effects of cap-and-trade policies on economic performance, despite the near impossibility of producing reliable forecasts. In this series of state fact sheets, PERI has evaluated the economic implications of the forecasts generated by the most prominent of these groups, the American Council on Capital Formation and the National Association of Manufacturers (ACCF/NAM). Even under ACCF/NAM’s worst case scenario, a cap-and-trade policy will have only a minor impact on the performance of the U.S. economy over time. PERI applied this scenario to the economies of 29 states, and demonstrates the degree to which economic vitality and environmental prudence can coincide under cap-and trade policies to limit carbon emissions. >> Go to the cap-and-trade website to download state fact sheets or the detailed technical appendix A Green Stimulus Debate in the MediaNovember 2008 With the election of Preseident-elect Obama, the idea of a 'green recovery' is receiving widespread media attention. This presents PERI and our collaborators with an opportunity to clarify our research and describe our methodology to a broad audience. Below is a sample of the recent back-and-forth between media outlets, PERI authors, and the Center for American Progress. >> Read David Kreutzer's article for the Heritage Foundation (November 5, 2008) Congressional Testimony on a Green Economic Stimulus ProgramOctober 2008 In the face of the current crisis, federal policymakers are considering how to structure a second economic stimulus package. In this testimony for the House Committee on Education and Labor, Robert Pollin recommends for a program focused on three areas: educational services, public infrastructure, and green investments. A program that combines these areas will have the capacity to generate nearly 3 million new jobs in the short run in response to an increased outlay of government spending of $150 billion. Over the longer term, at least another 400,000 jobs should be created because public infrastructure and green investments will create an enhanced climate for private business investment. >> Download the full written testimony Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon EconomySeptember 2008 Green Economy Survey Data Collection CompleteSeptember 2008 From January through August 2008, PERI conducted a survey of renewable energy and energy efficiency businesses throughout the U.S. The survey was designed to inform our understanding of the structure of the businesses and industries working directly in these arenas. The survey project is now complete and we have received over one hundred responses, allowing for statistically robust analysis. PERI Research Assistant Heidi Garrett-Peltier is in the process of compiling the data which will allow us to analyze the employment effects of investment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry with a level of precision not afforded by prior existing data. Using this new data set, we will supplement the input-output accounts maintained by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, allowing us to analyze the most effective policy strategies to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy and to move the economy towards a green growth path. Watch the PERI home page for forthcoming reports integrating this new data. >> Download a sample of the business survey Job Opportunities for the Green Economy: A State-by-State Picture of Occupations that Gain from Green InvestmentsJune 2008 In this report, commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council and coalition of environmental and labor organizations, PERI Co-Director Robert Pollin and Assistant Research Professor Jeannette Wicks-Lim provide a snapshot of the kinds of jobs are needed to build a green economy in the United States. They focus on six key strategies for attacking global warming and highlight some of the major “green jobs” associated with each of these approaches. |
SEARCH PERI >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
In the Media>> Read "Financing the Green Economy as an Answer to Casino Capitalism" in New Labor Forum (February 2009) >> Read "Doing the Recovery Right" in The Nation (January 2009) >> Read "Green Investments and the Path to Prosperity" in New Labor Forum (October 2008) >> Read “How to End the Recession” in The Nation, (November 2008) >> Read "Why Green Jobs Are Our Future" in the Boston Globe (October 2008) >> Read media coverage of PERI's green economics research
>> View the interactive map of green recovery job creation
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