New
Report Documents Economic Benefits for Maryland
Baltimore – A national
renewable electricity standard requiring utilities to increase their use of
wind, solar and other renewable energy sources would generate new jobs in
Maryland, lower electric and natural gas bills, and slash global warming
pollution, according to a new Union of Concerned Scientists analysis released
today by Environment Maryland. UCS examined the impact of a proposed national
standard on the nation as a whole and on 20 states, including Maryland.
“Renewable energy is good
business,” said Environment Maryland State Director Brad Heavner. “Maryland wants the jobs that would come from increasing
renewable energy, and we certainly want the lower long-term electricity costs.”
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 (D-N.M.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.), would require
that utilities increase their use of renewable energy to 20 percent by 2020. Among the Maryland Congressional delegation, Reps. Cummings, Gilchrest,
Sarbanes, Van Hollen and Wynn have cosponsored the bill; Reps. Bartlett, Hoyer
and Ruppersberger have not.
For Maryland, UCS’s analysis found that a 20 percent national
renewable electricity standard would:
- Generate an average employment increase of 930 jobs
per year between today and 2020 in manufacturing, construction and other
industries.
- Be a financial boon of $922 million cumulatively
from today until 2020 for farmers, ranchers and rural landowners who
produce biomass energy and/or lease their land to wind developers.
- Save Marylanders $60 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 $340 million.
Nationally, UCS’s analysis
found that a 20 percent national renewable electricity standard would:
- Generate 185,000 jobs per year 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.
- Lower energy bills by $10.5 billion 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.
Cashing-In.pdf