As we learn that RI just shed another 1,200 jobs last month, I’ve been looking for harder numbers on the potential employment growth that’d follow from a renewable energy economy.

The best I could find was this study on the Mid-Atlantic, which provides a broad understanding of the magnitude of the benefit we’d see. If anybody has New England-specific numbers, please pass them along.

(This scenario assumes that a relatively modest 9% of our needs would be filled by renewables; the real potential is much higher — perhaps 75% or more in RI alone.)

Remember that we’re in a position to become a manufacturing hub for both the New England and the Mid-Atlantic. And also remember that this doesn’t account for the benefits of a better RIPTA, increasing waste-oil biofuel production, and other green initiatives.

Developing economically accessible wind energy resources in the Mid-Atlantic would create tens of thousands of well-paying jobs.

Wind industry experts place the economically developable wind potential of the Mid-Atlantic states at around 10,000 MW. Developing this amount of energy by 2015 could satisfy just over half of new electricity demand, generate over nine percent of regional electricity needs, and power over 3 million homes. Through 2014, the benefits of this scenario for the Mid-Atlantic region include:

• 11,100 year-long jobs in wind turbine manufacturing and installation, with a total payroll of $334 million.
• 740 permanent jobs in wind farm operation and maintenance, with a yearly payroll of $30 million.
• 12,700 yearlong jobs and 850 permanent jobs indirectly supported by wind turbine manufacturing, installation, and service, and induced by increased spending in the regional economy.
• At least $23 million in royalties paid to rural landowners who lease land for wind generation. Landowners with favorable wind resources can supplement their yearly income by more than $2,000 per turbine, with a majority of the land still free for farming, grazing, or other use.

The economic development potential of wind power will increase as offshore wind development becomes more feasible in the next decade.

Placing solar panels on one out of 10 homes in the Mid-Atlantic would create thousands of high quality jobs and reduce overall electricity prices by reducing demand.

Using photovoltaic technology, every home, business and office building can generate a significant portion of the electricity it uses. Installing a 2 kW photovoltaic system on just one out of 10 homes in the Mid-Atlantic would:

• Create 5,710 yearlong local jobs in installation, operation and maintenance and 8,080 yearlong manufacturing jobs, many of them in the Mid-Atlantic.
• Reduce electricity rates paid by all electricity consumers, especially during summertime peaks in demand when solar panel output is highest.
• Help to hedge against future blackouts like the one that struck the northeast in August 2003.

RELATED POSTS

• No related posts.

This entry was posted You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.