Making the News

Investing in energy technology makes sense

By Mike Shout

Vindicator

Last week, Youngstown State University announced plans to install solar panels on the roof of the College of Engineering and Technology. This initiative, one of the largest clean energy projects of its type in northeast Ohio, is part of a campus-wide commitment to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent and save the university $500,000 per year in lighting costs alone.

This is a perfect example of a growing trend — as energy prices continue to rise, businesses, universities and households are looking at ways to reduce their energy consumption. Whether it is a business looking to improve their bottom line or a family trying to cut its monthly bill, people are looking for ways to reduce energy costs.

Home-grown help

While a comprehensive initiative by Youngstown State is to be applauded, imagine a systemic effort to shrink utility bills and make costs more predictable. Consumers would have more money to spend on things they enjoy, and businesses or universities would be able to save money and invest more in growing their industry or institution. So instead of sending $1 billion a day out of the country to buy oil from countries that are hostile to the U.S. — we would each be helping to grow local businesses and jobs.

Seems obvious, right? The reality is that we waste enormous amounts of energy, which is like burning cash. Research from McKinsey & Co. shows that the U.S. could save more than $1.2 trillion in wasted energy by 2020 through investments in commercial, residential and industrial retrofits — and this does not even account for savings from cars, trucks, trains, ships and airplanes.

Unbelievably, the U.S. uses nearly twice as much energy to produce a dollar of goods as its European and Japanese trading partners. We spend more to make less, which increases the cost of doing business and makes us less competitive.

Look at China

The fastest route to a more prosperous, secure economy for Ohio and our country is to eliminate energy waste and move to a clean energy economy. Other countries get it. China, for example, is investing $12.6 million every hour on clean energy technology. They want to own the global market and are on their way.

While consumers and businesses can do a lot to reduce their energy use, the real gains can come with the right energy policy framework. That is why we need Congress to set the right market signals by passing comprehensive climate legislation that puts a price on carbon and contains strong clean energy and energy efficiency standards.

The opportunity is in front of us. The Senate has introduced a long-awaited energy policy framework, but we need leadership from both sides of the aisle for passage.

It is not too late, but everyday they wait to act, opportunities for improvement are missed.

Mike Shout is President and CEO of Carbon Vision and member of the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy. Carbon Vision, based in Cleveland, will coordinate the solar installation at Youngstown State University.

Clean energy really does mean Ohio jobs

By Marc Cironi

It’s tempting to think the economy doesn’t work anymore for people in Ohio. I own a business that specializes in new forms of wind energy, and while we’re seeing successes, every day I talk to colleagues and neighbors who are trying to make ends meet.

During one of the most difficult times in our nation’s history, it’s time for bold action to bring stable and high-paying jobs to people in Ohio. Fortunately, we have a path forward: We can invest in clean, renewable sources of energy that will create millions of new jobs and make our country more secure.

And it’s a message I want my U.S. senators to hear loud and clear, directly from me. Which is why I went to Washington with other businesses owners and faith leaders from around the state. Together, we had a simple message: It’s time to bring clean energy to Ohio and end our dependence on foreign oil.

We asked our senators to take bold action that would repair our economy using 21st century solutions. Not everyone gets that opportunity, but everyone has the chance to make their voice heard on this critical issue.

Clean energy is our future — it’s one of America’s fastest growing job sectors, and is fast becoming one of the world’s biggest industries. One study found that with comprehensive policies to build a clean-energy economy, we can create up to 61,000 jobs in Ohio and up to 1.9 million jobs nationwide.

What kinds of jobs will we create? We start by investing in technology that’s available now that will transform the way we heat our homes and fuel our vehicles. This means windmills and solar panels, but it also means homes and offices that are more energy efficient.

When we invest in clean energy, this means businesses can expand, and entrepreneurs can innovate. This means good jobs for construction workers and jobs for factory workers. It means jobs for people who build the cars of the future. It means jobs for electricians, plumbers, truckers, engineers and many others. These are the jobs that can make us all confident in our future; jobs that will convince our kids to stay in Ohio when they grow up.

Currently, America spends more than $1 billion a day buying oil from abroad when we could be producing our own energy here in Ohio. Rather than continuing to send money overseas, we can invest that money here at home on clean-energy sources, creating new jobs and building new industries, and making us more secure.

Depending on foreign sources of energy, including oil from the Middle East, makes America more vulnerable. And climate change makes already volatile regions more unstable. Some of these places become safe havens and breeding grounds for terrorists. By reducing our dependence on foreign oil, our energy dollars will go to American businesses and jobs that will strengthen our economy, not into the hands of unfriendly countries.

But if we want to bring change to Ohio, we need action from our leaders in Washington. We need a bold, comprehensive energy policy that includes a price on carbon pollution from dirty energy sources. A price on carbon will help make clean energy profitable.

I’ve just returned from Washington where I asked Sens. Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich to vote for comprehensive clean-energy legislation. The Senate is expected to consider a major clean-energy bill in the coming weeks. We need to tell our senators there’s no time to wait.

Cironi is the chief executive officer of Green Energy Technologies in Bath Township.

Clean economy will power Ohio

Published on Thursday, Feb 04, 2010

The column below is the work of Dave Boezi of Melink Corp., Fran Buchholzer of Barton Realty, Jeff and John Grabner of Cardinal Fastener, Mark Cironi of Green Energy Technologies, Kari Straughsbaugh of Smashray, Eric Zimmer of Tipping Point Renewable Energy, and Doug Bruell and Jim Meyers of North Coast Insulation & Ventilation. They are members of the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy (www.ohiocleaneconomy.biz). They traveled to Washington, D.C., this week, to urge Ohio’s senators to enact quickly strong nationwide energy and climate legislation. The U.S. House passed a comprehensive bill last June.

We traveled to Washington this week prodding our leaders to boldly seize an opportunity for Ohio’s economy, America’s recovery and our country’s future competitiveness.

There can be no doubt that America badly needs new energy and climate policies for many reasons. We must end our addiction to foreign oil, an ongoing national security threat that funnels literally trillions of our dollars to people who don’t like us.

We must embrace the clean-energy and energy-efficiency technologies of the future if we are to compete in what is already shaping up as the next great global industry. Make no mistake, the race to build that industry is under way, and we are behind many other countries.

And we must leave our children a livable planet by tackling the grave threat from climate change that has been identified by an overwhelming majority of the world’s independent scientists.

But here’s the good news: Meeting these challenges can be a major growth engine for Ohio’s future because our state is very well positioned to be a leader in this effort! We have the natural endowments, educated populace and manufacturing plus scientific know-how in place. Our underused factory capacity and our underused work force are itching for new work — and to reverse the brain drain that sends so many of our young people away.

Ohio is already proving it can do this: We’re a global leader in fuel-cell technology and a leader in wind-technology development. The world’s pre-eminent ”thin film” solar photovoltaics manufacturer is in Toledo and employs 6,000 people.

But many more jobs are there for the taking. In the legislation now before Congress, renewable-energy projects would bring an estimated 23,000 new jobs and $3.6 billion in new investment to Ohio alone. An additional $30 billion would be available to our state for retooling and retrofitting manufacturers and power plants to meet energy efficiency and pollution reduction targets.

And this need not come at great expense to our consumers or traditional energy sectors. In fact, the legislation provides both with assistance to mitigate the impact of any increased energy costs associated with the transition. There are billions for traditional fuel-burning industries to innovate and retrofit, and for research into new ways to make coal cleaner — extending its useful life in our nation’s energy mix.

Let’s be clear: America has no alternative to coal for many years to come, so this domestic power source will have a long glide path as we make this transition.

Ohio and our country are at a crossroads. We can be fearful and cling to a past that is fast fading away — the more expensive option long term — or we can embrace a future that will inevitably arrive the way previous generations embraced challenges like the Soviet Union’s launch of the first space satellite. That event galvanized our country, our research establishment, our schools, businesses and government in ways that extended American prosperity and leadership for two generations.

But the right decision is no sure thing. As Ohioans have all-too-painfully learned, our domestic auto industry should have embraced new competitive realities in the 1970s and ’80s in ways that it didn’t. This colossal error is one that we, who have suffered its impact disproportionately, should be especially alert about not repeating.

Companies in the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy aren’t just those that will work directly on these new technologies and efficiencies. A new clean-energy policy means factory workers get to build wind turbines, solar panels and more. It means contractors are busy retrofitting buildings. It means farmers grow biofuel crops and more. It means that community college programs training workers young and old for these new industries get a boost. And it means that every coffee shop, supermarket, dry cleaner and lawn-care service that serves these communities gets more work.

We can make this happen. But first we — and those we visited in Washington — must realize this: Economic prosperity, our environment and our national security are inextricably linked in ways that cry out for bold solutions. Building a clean-energy economy addresses all these major challenges at once: It’s a win-win that will be critical to assuring Ohio’s and America’s prosperity and security well into the 21st century.

New challenges demand new thinking. Please add your voice to those of us bringing that message to our leaders in Washington.

Ohio is ready for the green economy of the future: John Grabner, Mark Cironi, Doug Bruel

By Plain Dealer guest columnist

February 07, 2010, 3:03AM

By John Grabner, Mark Cironi and Doug Bruell

We traveled to Washington last week prodding our leaders to boldly seize an opportunity for Ohio’s economy, America’s recovery and our country’s future competitiveness. While the U.S. House passed a comprehensive bill last June, the Senate needs to quickly enact strong nationwide energy and climate legislation.

And we must leave our children a livable planet by tackling the grave threat from climate change that has been identified by an overwhelming majority of the world’s independent scientists.

But here’s the good news: Meeting these challenges can be a major growth engine for Ohio’s future because our state is very well positioned to be a leader in this effort. We have the natural endowments, educated populace and manufacturing and scientific know-how in place. Our underused factory capacity and our underused work force is itching for new work — and to reverse the brain drain that sends so many of our young people away.

Ohio is already proving it can do this: We’re a global leader in fuel-cell technology and a leader in wind-technology development. The world’s preeminent “thin film” solar photovoltaics manufacturer is in Toledo and employs 6,000 people.

New challenges demand new thinking. Please add your voice to those of us bringing that message to our leaders in Washington, D.C.

Grabner is CEO of Cardinal Fastener. Cironi is president of Green Energy Technologies. Bruell is president of North Coast Insulation & Ventilation. They are members of the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy (ohiocleaneconomy.biz).

Going green, the color of Ohio’s future

By Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn (ret.)

I returned to Ohio this month to talk about national security, energy and climate change. But more important, I came here to tell you this is a moment of great opportunity for our nation and your state.

For over two years, I have had the privilege of serving with some of our nation’s most distinguished and senior retired military leaders on the CNA Military Advisory Board, which produced two reports examining the national-security threats of climate change and America’s current energy posture.

This may seem a subject far distant from Ohio’s current economic situation, and the suffering of too many who have lost their jobs. We are in the midst of the most serious global financial crisis of our lifetimes.

But after a year of examining our nation’s energy use, it is clear to our military advisory board that our economic, energy, climate-change and national-security challenges are inextricably linked.

And it is clear that our past pattern of energy use is responsible, in a significant way, for our economic situation today.

Over the past few decades, we have seen fossil-fuel prices fluctuate wildly, in large part because of increasing demand and decreasing supply. Oil has jumped as high as $140 a barrel — sending prices at the pump upward of $4 a gallon for gasoline.

While the economic downturn has caused those prices to come down temporarily, they remain high. And when this recession ends — and it will — the volatile cycle of ever-higher fuel prices will most surely return.

In a report released this year, the Military Advisory Board found that America’s energy posture constitutes a serious and urgent threat to national security — militarily, diplomatically and economically.

Our growing fossil-fuel reliance jeopardizes our military and exacts a huge price tag in dollars and lives. It cripples our foreign policy, weakens U.S. international leverage and entangles the United States with hostile regimes. And it undermines our economic stability.

Fierce global competition, instability and conflict over dwindling supplies of fossil fuels will be a major part of the future strategic landscape.

As experienced military leaders, our conclusion is that America must take bold, decisive action to move away from a fossil-fuel-based economy for national security reasons.

Moving toward clean, independent, domestic energy choices lessens the dangers, improves our economic security and helps us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change.

And that challenge has serious national-security implications. In a 2007 report, our Military Advisory Board found that climate change acts as a ”threat multiplier” for instability in some of the world’s most volatile regions.

Climate change is different from traditional military threats, because it is not a defined enemy, or hotspot. Rather it has the potential to create multiple hotspots around the world all at once.

More frequent and intense natural and humanitarian disasters due to flooding, droughts, disease and crop failure foster political instability where societal demands for the essentials of life exceed the capacity of fragile governments to cope.

Desperation and hopelessness will drive whole populations to be displaced on a scale far beyond those we see today in places such as Darfur and Somalia. And this, in turn, will create a fertile breeding ground for extremists and terrorism. The more instability is driven by climate change, the more likely the pressure to use our U.S. military and to put future generations of our finest young Americans in harm’s way.

There is still discussion, much of it misinformed, about whether or not climate change is ”real” and if it is real, can we then do anything about it?

As military professionals, we are trained, and learn by hard experience, to make decisions when faced with threatening situations, even when they were defined by ambiguous information. We base our decisions on trends, indicators and warnings, because waiting for 100 percent certainty during a crisis can be disastrous. And as we carefully consider the threat of climate change to our national security, the trends and warnings are clear.

The challenges inherent in this suite of issues may be daunting, particularly at a time of economic crisis, but there is good reason for viewing this moment in history as a great opportunity for America and Ohio.

Energy is the largest industry, by revenue, in the world. Clean energy technology represents the next breakout technology sector and will do for energy what information technology has done for information and communications.

I consider myself a Buckeye — having served at the Battelle Memorial Institute as head of the division on energy, transportation and environment.

I know well the considerable assets this state brings to the table: research institutions like Battelle, outstanding universities producing some of the best and the brightest, a manufacturing base unparalleled and visionary business, political and civic leadership.

Innovative public policy like Ohio’s renewable energy standard — one of the boldest in the nation — creates the market certainty for clean energy that investors need. Between 2006 and 2008, venture capitalists poured $74.224 million into clean technology businesses in Ohio. On a national level, clean technology is the fastest-growing sector of venture capital investment.

As it is, 2,513 clean energy businesses in Ohio generated more than 35,267 jobs, as of 2007. And a recent report from the Council on State Governments found that Ohio created more green jobs as a result of recent federal stimulus money than any other state. While these numbers may seem small in light of Ohio’s devastating job loss last year, they represent a new beginning.

Today, Akron is seizing that new beginning. During my Ohio visit, I had the privilege of meeting with Akron business leaders who are at the cutting edge of clean technology innovation. Rexorce Thermionics, located in downtown Akron, has developed a very efficient means to capture waste heat from industrial processes and turn it into valuable electrical energy for a wide variety of applications.

Think about it: Capturing heat energy that is currently just going into the atmosphere and turning it into electricity. It’s like a great form of energy recycling: good for the atmosphere and good for the bottom line.

The global market potential for clean energy technologies is more than $180 billion annually, according to government estimates. China is spending $12.6 million every hour on clean energy investments. If we don’t move quickly to capture this market, China will — and then we will have to buy the technology from them.

Ohio’s and America’s greatest resource has always been the capacity to reinvent itself. Ohio can help lead the country into its next era of prosperity. If we act with boldness and vision now, future generations of Americans will look back on this as a time when we came together as a nation and transformed daunting challenge into sustained security and prosperity, and a better quality of life.

McGinn, a former vice president at Battelle Memorial in Columbus, is a member of the Military Advisory Board of CNA, a nonprofit research and analysis organization based in Alexandria, Va. He served as the commander of the U.S. Third Fleet, which is responsible for the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Editorial: Climate-change regs could spur Ohio to help itself

Posted on 2 November 2009

By the Dayton Daily News

The debate about climate change has developed civil war elements. People claiming to speak for the Heartland are saying: Whatever impact pending legislation might have on the two coasts —where most of the political support comes from — it would be disaster for states like Ohio, which are especially dependent on coal and manufacturing.

If you put restraints on carbon emissions associated with coal, you hurt Ohio. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a “cap-and-trade” bill. It sets a national limit on the amount of carbon that can be released, then allows companies that can’t reduce their emissions to buy credits to release more.

Republican House leader John Boehner has said it would raise energy costs in Ohio — and worse. Specifically, he says it would put AK Steel out of business.

In September, Reps. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, and Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, joined him at a Republican-sponsored hearing in Columbus to highlight these points.

All along, proponents have said the bill would — on balance — create jobs, by fostering new energy businesses and by fostering energy conservation, allowing money to be diverted in other directions.

Now comes a study that says the positive economic impact would not only be bigger than the negative, but would actually be greatest in states like Ohio.

“Heartland states will gain more by reducing imported fossil fuel dependence because they are generally spending a higher proportion of their income on this low-employment, high- price” source, says the study.

The point is that Ohio doesn’t produce oil, but it could produce plenty of sustainable energy forms, such as solar and wind, thus fostering new industries and keeping its money at home.

The study was done primarily by the University of California at Berkeley, and was funded by The Energy Foundation, which describes itself as a partnership of foundations interested in sustainable energy.

Promoting the study locally is the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy, an organization of businesses interested in the “green” field.

As for oil, Ohio uses more than it digs, says the study’s main author, David Roland-Holst. And, he says, the fossil fuel industry produces relatively few jobs, and they pay poorly.

Ohio businesses and universities are poised to move into the new world of sustainable energy in a big way. Central State University and the University of Dayton are among the eight designated as having “Ohio Centers of Excellence” in specific “green collar” realms. They’re participating in a state effort to have all electricity sold in Ohio by 2025 come from advanced or renewable resources.

Still, this country is falling behind others in the new technologies. Professor Roland-Holst says the great threat ahead for Ohio is not that its coal and manufacturing industries will be hurt by new laws, but that the state will miss the “green” boat while focusing on coal.

He recognizes that industry’s problems, but says it has been like the auto industry — which, for example, fought higher gas-mileage standards for many years — in failing to adjust to modern times.

The coal industry points to cap-and-trade studies with different conclusions than this one.

Unquestionably, there will be downsides to cap-and-trade. Some attention must be focused on problems of communities now most dependent on the coal industry now.

But the times are changing. There will be winners and losers. Ohio can fear that, or it can recognize that few other states are more in need of change than Ohio.

The same editorial appeared in:

Editorial: Will Ohio miss the ‘green’ boat? (Posted on 3 November 2009)

Tough climate-change bill touted as good for state

Posted 27 October 2009

By Jonathan Riskind, Washington Bureau Chief

The more a congressional climate change bill cracks down on greenhouse gas emissions and places carbon limits on utilities and other businesses, the better the long-term prospects for Ohio’s economy, according to a report released this morning by renewable energy business advocates.

Ohio would gain up to 61,000 jobs by 2020 and see its economy grow by $3.7 billion if a stringent climate change bill becomes law, says the report released by the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy.

There would be some short-term increases to Ohio’s energy costs, acknowledged Eric Zimmer of Tipping Point Renewable Energy, one of the businesses that released the study and a member of the clean economy council. But a strict carbon cap would soon lead to energy efficiency savings and alternative energy innovation, and by 2020 the average household income would increase by $992, in 2008 dollars, as a consequence, the study says. A less strict piece of legislation still could yield about half those numbers, the study says.

“This report shows that the stronger the federal energy and climate policies, the more Ohio stands to gain economically,” said Eric Zimmer, CEO & founder of Tipping Point Renewable Energy. “Those who say we cannot afford to take action now do not understand the opportunity we stand to lose by not acting. There is an emerging multibillion dollar global clean energy market and Ohio is poised to capture its leading edge.”

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is one of a group of Midwest lawmakers trying to figure out how to craft a climate change bill that brings more jobs to states like Ohio than it costs. This report was timed for release the day before Senate climate change legislation hearings begin, although there is doubt on Capitol Hill whether a final House-Senate bill will be approved this year.

(Youngstown Business Journal)

Study Finds Ohio Could Gain 51,000 Jobs From Strong Climate Change Legislation

Posted 27 October 2009

By George Nelson

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Ohio’s heavy reliance on carbon fuels and its available skilled work force position the state to uniquely benefit from comprehensive federal energy and climate policy, say advocates of those proposals.

On the eve of discussions to begin today in the U.S. Senate, an economic analysis was released Monday that concluded strong climate change policies could create up to 61,000 jobs in Ohio by 2020. The study, Clean Energy and Climate Change Policy for U.S. Growth and Job Creation, also found such policies could increase annual incomes by $992 per household and expand the state’s economy by $3.7 billion.

The report, which offers a state-by-state analysis of the impacts of three pillars of federal legislation — energy efficiency, renewable energy and limits on carbon pollution — was discussed during a conference call with reporters Monday.

The central findings of the study, reported David Roland-Hoist, professor of economics at the University of California and co-author of the study, are that a comprehensive national policy will grow the economy and generate new jobs; every state can benefit from adopting polices based on those three pillars; and the stronger and more comprehensive the national policy, the greater the “growth dividend.“

Nationally, 1.2 million jobs could be gained by 2020, he said.

What makes Ohio special is the skills of the state’s work force — specifically people in the steel and automotive industries being underemployed, said David Noble of TechniGraphics Inc. and Environmental Entrepreneurs. Those skilled workers can be put to work building solar cells and wind turbines. “But that will not happen unless we have favorable policies in place,” he said.

“The other thing about Ohio is the more carbon-intensive you are the more your state has a chance to benefit,” said Eric Zimmer, CEO and founder of Tipping Point Renewable Energy and a member of the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy.

Ohio gets about 90% of its electricity from coal, he said, and the state is one of the largest carbon emitters due to the amount of energy it uses.

“Many business leaders definitely recognize the need for comprehensive climate legislation and policies,” said Herman Bulls, chairman and CEO of Public institutions at Hones Lang LaSalle, an international property management firm whose clients include Proctor & Gamble. “Many of our clients are taking steps right now to reduce their energy use.“ He compared the potential benefits of alternative energy and energy efficacy technologies to the introduction of computers to many businesses 30 years ago, which significantly increased productivity.

Noble, the executive with Environmental Entrepreneurs, warned of the consequences of not developing a new energy economy. Jobs in that field are being developed in China, India and Western Europe and not in the United States because this nation is not attentive to the problems of climate change. “If we are not, we will lose those jobs to the rest of the world,” he said, keeping the United States dependent on other countries for its energy needs.

“Passing climate change legislation could be terrific for our economy. Not passing it could be devastating,” he remarked.

Strong federal policy on clean jobs could create up to 61,000 Ohio jobs, report says

Posted on 26 October 2009

By William Hershey

COLUMBUS – With the U.S. Senate set to debate clean energy and climate legislation, a new economic analysis released on Monday, Oct. 26, found that the strongest federal policy could create up to 61,000 jobs in Ohio, increase annual incomes by $992 and grow the state’s economy by $3.7 billion.

The study was released by the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy and was conducted by the University of California in collaboration with the University of Illinois, a press release said.

The same article appeared in:

http://www.oxfordpress.com

Big Carbon Footprint, Big Economic Opportunity

A new study says Ohio can create jobs and cut energy costs under a comprehensive carbon cap-and-trade regime – even though it’s a coal-heavy state.

Posted on 26 October 2009

By Jeff St. John

The bigger the carbon footprint, the bigger the economic opportunity in reducing it.

A new study claims that the comprehensive carbon reduction, efficiency and renewable energy measures of the energy and climate bill now before Congress could benefit heartland states like Ohio as much as, if not more than, green enclaves like California.

The report from U.C. Berkeley, Ceres, E2 and the state’s Clean Economy Network says that Ohio could add about 61,000 jobs and increase its economic output by about 0.7 percent under a regime like that being proposed in the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

That assumes renewable energy will make up about 15 percent of the state’s power by 2020, and that the state will improve overall energy efficiency by about 1.7 percent per year, said David Roland-Holst, an economics professor at U.C. Berkeley and co-author of the report. It also assumes some sort of carbon cap-and-trade scheme passes Congress, which remains an open question (see Green Light post).

But the important point, Roland-Holst claimed, is that the report shows that Ohio stands to reap greater than average benefits of a green economic shift, with an average household income increase of about $1,000, compared to a national per-household income increase in the range of $488 to $1,176 (see Will The Rust Belt Become the Green Belt?)

The study’s results contradict many more gloomy projections from industry groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute, which have said the energy legislation could lead to layoffs and reduced economic activity (see Green Light post).

A version of the bill introduced by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass, and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., faces an uphill battle in the Senate. The senate bill aims to cut the nation’s greenhouse-gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020, compared to the House’s aim of a 17-percent reduction.

A study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicated that cap-and-trade could yield a slight rise in electricity prices, as coal-fired power plants are retrofitted to prevent carbon dioxide emissions or shut down. Other groups have said it could cost the average American household a lot more (see Energy-Climate Bill Could Boost Electricity Costs 20% by 2030).

But the Ohio study contradicts that claim, indicating that a combination of cheaper renewable power, less demand through efficiency improvements, and financial incentives under cap-and-trade could actually reduce power bills over the long term, Roland-Holst said.

“This is not a case of environmental policies raising energy costs. It’s a case of environmental policies reducing energy costs,” he said.

It seems like a hard claim to make, given that Ohio gets 90 percent of its power from coal, noted Eric Zimmer, CEO of Ohio solar developer Tipping Point Renewable Energy.

But with a large carbon footprint to reduce comes a big target for new technologies and business models to reap outsized efficiency improvements in a state that hasn’t yet seen a lot of money directed at the problem, he said.

“If you understand energy efficiency, you walk around here and see a lot of opportunities for energy efficiency, from or large industry on downwards,” Zimmer said.

Still, that’s not to say that short-term costs won’t have to be handled, Roland-Holst said.

“Energy by revenue is the world’s largest industry,” Roland-Holst said. “Energy efficiency and renewable energy will be the next breakout sector, because they can revolutionize the energy industry, the largest in the world.”

Besides throwing support behind backers of climate and energy legislation in Congress, the report highlights the fact that Ohio needs to move quickly to bring green industries online to counter its slide in traditional industries like automotive manufacturing (see Green Light post).

After all, Zimmer said, “Michigan has announced three new manufacturing plants for renewable technologies over the last three weeks. Ohio hasn’t announced any yet” (see Green Light post and Oerlikon Solar Tools Coming to America).

Renewable energy could help create 1.9 million jobs in the USA

Posted on 3 November 2009

Comprehensive clean renewable energy and climate policies would create jobs, increase consumers’ income and strengthen the economy, according to a study conducted by three universities in the USA.

The study Clean Energy & Climate Policy for U.S. Growth and Job Creation: An Economic Assessment of the American Clean Energy & Security Act and the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act estimates that as many as 1.9 million new jobs could be created across the United States within renewable energy, annual household income could increase by US$1,175 per year, and Gross Domestic Product could increase US$111 billion by 2020.

The study was commissioned by Ceres, Environmental Entrepreneurs and the Clean Economy Network, and modelled by collaborative research teams at the University of Illinois, Yale University and the University of California. All states would have economic gains above the growth that they would see in the absence of such legislation, but clean renewable energy policies could create 78,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, 61,000 in Ohio and 45,000 jobs in Indiana.

The economic assessment was conducted using EAGLE, a forecasting model that projects the long term economic impacts of climate legislation on the economy. The model details economic interactions within and between each of the 50 states, and compares the impacts of combining a limit on carbon pollution with complementary efficiency and renewable energy policies.

“All 50 states can gain economically from strong federal energy and climate policy, despite the diversity of their economies and energy mixes,” concludes the main finding. “The states may differ on the supply side, but on the demand side they all have substantial opportunities to grow their economies by promoting energy saving and domestic renewable energy alternatives.”

“By aggressively promoting efficiency on the demand side of energy markets, alternative fuel and renewable technology development on the supply side can be combined with carbon pollution reduction to yield economic growth and net job creation,” it adds. “Indeed, a central finding of this research is that the stronger the federal climate policy, the greater the economic reward.”

“For most states, growth rates increase with adoption of renewable energy sources,” it explains. “This results from two factors, reduction in long term fossil fuel dependence and exploitation of more efficient alternative energy sources.”

Fossil fuels are currently in lower demand due to economic markets, but that situation is temporary and recent projections foresee a strong and sustained resurgence of fuel prices. “By shifting to domestic renewable substitutes, the western states can reduce their long term external energy dependence and capture more in-state expenditure multiplier effects.”

“In terms of relative efficiency, recent research on new renewable supplies suggests that a 30% RPS (renewable portfolio standard) can be met from sources with marginal cost below projected fossil fuel alternatives,” the report notes. “These savings from low hanging fruit in solar, wind, and geothermal sources will also contribute to higher long term regional growth.”

The model assumes that electric utilities will be required to meet 20% of their sales through renewable energy by 2020, as well as a cap and trade system for carbon emissions, aggressive energy efficiency standards for new buildings and vehicles, and a “substantial program (in the hundreds of billions of dollars)” to support RD&D in clean energy and energy efficient technologies, funded in part through CO2 allowances.

Ceres is a national investor coalition working with investors and companies to address the business risks and opportunities posed by global climate change. The Clean Economy Network is a national advocacy association for the cleantech and green business community. Environmental Entrepreneurs is a national community of individual business leaders who advocate for good environmental policy while building economic prosperity.

KABC-TV Los Angeles, CA

Business group says strong clean energy policies will create 61,000 Ohio jobs

Posted on 26 October 2009

From Green Right Now Reports

A group of Ohio business leaders released a new economic analysis that says a strong federal clean energy policy could create up to 61,000 jobs in Ohio, while increasing annual incomes by $992 and growing the state economy by $3.7 billion.

The new study was released the day before US Senate deliberations begin on clean energy and climate legislation. The research — co-released with E2, the national investor coalition Ceres and the Clean Economy Network — was conducted by the University of California in collaboration with the University of Illinois and Yale University. It examined of the impacts of three pillars of federal legislation: energy efficiency, renewable energy and limits on carbon pollution.

“This report shows that the stronger the federal energy and climate policies, the more Ohio stands to gain economically,” Eric Zimmer, CEO & founder of Tipping Point Renewable Energy, said in a statement. “Those who say we cannot afford to take action now do not understand the opportunity we stand to lose by not acting. There is an emerging multi-billion dollar global clean energy market and Ohio is poised to capture its leading edge.”

Nationally, the analysis concluded that full adoption of the American Clean Energy and Security Act’s package of pollution reduction and energy efficiency measures would create between 918,000 and 1.9 million new jobs, increase annual household income by $487-$1,175 per year, and boost GDP by $39 billion-$111 billion. These economic gains are over and above the growth the U.S. would see in the absence of such a bill.

Using a new forecasting model called the Environmental Assessment in General Equilibrium (EAGLE), the study conducted detailed economic assessments of climate and energy policies currently under consideration in Congress. The study modeled both moderate and aggressive implementation of policies that create a market-based program to reduce carbon emissions, as well as set strong standards for and investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The Ohio findings include:

* Aggressive policy implementation results in greater economic and job growth in Ohio by 2020 than moderate or no implementation.
* The strongest policies could generate up to 61,000 additional jobs in Ohio, increase Ohio real Gross Domestic Product by $3.7 billion and real household income by $992 per year (as measured in 2008 dollars) by 2020.
* Even moderate implementation drives economic growth in Ohio, generating $1.6 billion in GDP, and $452 in annual household income growth.
* More carbon dependent state economies have more to gain from climate action, assuming they adopt balanced policies that combine all three pillars (energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon pollution limits).

The Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy, which released the report, said results from the EAGLE study are consistent with projections by agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Congressional Budget Office, and the Department of Energy – all of which show substantial economic benefits from more efficient energy use.

“Improving energy efficiency cuts costs for transportation, heating, cooling and other energy demands,” David Roland-Holst, the study’s author, said in a statement. “Money saved on energy puts dollars back in household bank accounts, and gives consumers the freedom to spend on things they want. This spending represents 70 percent of Gross State Product, so it represents potent growth and job stimulus for the Ohio economy.”

Gongwer News Service Ohio Report

STUDY FINDS ‘CAP-AND-TRADE’ BENEFITS MANUFACTURING STATES THE MOST

Posted 26 October 2009

A federal proposal to limit carbon dioxide emissions will actually benefit the economies of Midwestern manufacturing states like Ohio more than those of less polluting areas, according to a report released Monday.

As the U.S. Senate prepares to take up deliberations over a new version of the “cap-and-trade” bill, proponents touted the University of California report that contradicts concerns that CO2 limits would unfairly penalize manufacturing states.

“In fact, heartland states will gain more by reducing imported fossil fuel dependence because they are generally spending a higher proportion of their income on this low employment, high price risk supply chain. Demand side policies make a bigger difference for more carbon-dependent states, and carbon reduction opportunities represent riper and lower hanging fruit,” the study says.

Opponents of the measure say limiting carbon dioxide emissions will drive up the price of energy and damage the economy, especially in manufacturing-heavy Midwestern states that are dependent on coal-generated electricity.

The USC study estimates aggressive implementation of the proposal would create up to 61,000 jobs in Ohio, while adding $3.7 billion to the state’s economy.

“This report shows that the stronger the federal energy and climate policies, the more Ohio stands to gain economically” said Eric Zimmer, CEO of Tipping Point Renewable Energy and representative of the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy, which released the report.

“Those who say we cannot afford to take action now do not understand the opportunity we stand to lose by not acting,” he said in a statement. “There is an emerging multibillion-dollar global clean energy market and Ohio is poised to capture its leading edge.

Strong Clean Energy Policies Will Grow Economy and Create 61,000 Jobs in Ohio

Ohio Business Leaders Release New Jobs Report Day Before Senate Hearings Start

Posted on 26 October 2009

CLEVELAND, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ — On the eve of U.S. Senate deliberations on
clean energy and climate legislation, Ohio business leaders released a new
economic analysis that finds the strongest federal policy could create up to
61,000 jobs in Ohio, while increasing annual incomes by $992 and growing the
state economy by $3.7 billion. The new study, co-released with E2, the
national investor coalition Ceres and the Clean Economy Network, was conducted
by the University of California in collaboration with University of Illinois
and Yale University and provides an in-depth, state-by-state examination of
the impacts of three pillars of federal legislation: energy efficiency,
renewable energy and limits on carbon pollution.

“This report shows that the stronger the federal energy and climate policies,
the more Ohio stands to gain economically,” said Eric Zimmer, CEO & founder of
Tipping Point Renewable Energy. “Those who say we cannot afford to take action
now do not understand the opportunity we stand to lose by not acting. There
is an emerging multibillion dollar global clean energy market and Ohio is
poised to capture its leading edge.”

Using EAGLE, a new state-of-the-art forecasting model, the study conducts
detailed economic assessments of climate and energy policies currently under
consideration in Congress. The study models both moderate and aggressive
implementation of policies that create a market-based program to reduce carbon
emissions, as well as set strong standards for and investments in renewable
energy and energy efficiency.

The Ohio findings include:

– Aggressive policy implementation results in greater economic and job
growth in Ohio by 2020 than moderate or no implementation.
– The strongest policies could generate up to 61,000 additional jobs in
Ohio, increase Ohio real Gross Domestic Product by $3.7 billion and
real household income by $992 per year (as measured in 2008 dollars) by
2020
– Even moderate implementation drives economic growth in Ohio,
generating $1.6 billion in GDP, and $452 in annual household income growth.
– More carbon dependent state economies have more to gain from climate
action, assuming they adopt balanced policies that combine all three
pillars (energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon pollution
limits).

According to the study, the legislation would create between 918,000 and 1.9
million new jobs nationally, increase annual household income by $487-$1,175
per year, and boost GDP by $39 billion-$111 billion by 2020.

These gains are over and above business-as-usual economic growth.

“This study puts a fine point on the economic peril of business-as-usual,”
said Eric Zimmer, CEO & Founder of Tipping Point Renewable Energy. “Remaining
reliant on volatile fossil fuels only spells slower for our economy. Moving
to a clean energy economy, on the other hand, drives economic growth in our
state by protecting consumer purchasing power and generating jobs.”

Results from the EAGLE study are consistent with projections by agencies such
as the Environmental Protection Agency, Congressional Budget Office, and the
Department of Energy – all of which show substantial economic benefits from
more efficient energy use.

“Improving energy efficiency cuts costs for transportation, heating, cooling
and other energy demands,” commented David Roland-Holst, the study’s author. “Money saved on energy puts dollars back in household bank accounts, and gives
consumers the freedom to spend on things they want. This spending represents
70% of Gross State Product, so it represents potent growth and job stimulus
for the Ohio economy.”

About the study
The Environmental Assessment in General Equilibrium (EAGLE) model was
developed at the University of California in collaboration with the University
of Illinois and Yale University. It details patterns of supply, demand,
employment, incomes, resource allocation, energy use, and emissions across the
nation and within each of the 50 United States. Using a general equilibrium
framework, the model captures both direct impacts and the extensive
economy-wide indirect effects of climate and energy policies. The EAGLE model
has been peer reviewed and technical documentation is available on request.

The Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy is a network of businesses and
business leaders who are finding practical solutions to the significant
hurdles our country faces in meeting the growing energy needs of consumers
while simultaneously combating a lagging economy and global climate change.

CONTACT: Ian Nickey
614.460.9640
ian@melamedcommunications.com

SOURCE The Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy

Ian Nickey, +1-614-460-9640, ian@melamedcommunications.com, for The Ohio
Business Council for a Clean Economy

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