Renewable Energy Could Create 16,000 Jobs in State

 

Jul 13 - Oakland Tribune

California could gain 16,000 new jobs and consumers could save some $1.85 billion in electric and natural gas bills by 2020 if a national renewable standard were put into place, a scientists' group said in a report issued Thursday.

"Excluding the renewable development from full compliance with state standards, the national standard would generate more than 16,000 new jobs in California," said the report from the Cambridge, Mass.-based Union of Concerned Scientists.

Such a standard -- aimed at reducing harmful greenhouse gases in the environment -- would also result in $14.89 billion in new capital investment and $1.41 billion in income to farmers and ranchers "who produce biomass energy or lease their land to wind developers," Katherine Doehring, campaign coordinator for advocacy group Environment California, said at a San Francisco news conference announcing the report's findings.

Renewable standards require electricity providers to supply a minimum percentage of their power from alternative energy sources such as wind and solar.

California already mandates that all utilities must purchase 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and 33 percent by 2020.

The numbers in the scientists' report are based on a standard requiring utilities nationwide to purchase 20 percent of their power from alternative sources by 2020.

As of June, 22 additional states have adopted renewable electricity standards, and Congress is considering legislation that would mandate national renewable standards.

Contact Janis Mara at jmara@angnewspapers.com  or (510) 208-6468. Read her Energy Blog at http://www.ibabuzz.com/energy .

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