Worldwatch 2000 Renewables

Energy alteratives and jobs section on p.40: Wind Wind created 15000 jobs in Germany in 1998, though only 1.2% of electric gen. Nuclear 33% but only 38000 jobs; coal 26% and 80000 jobs Numbers in this section somewhat outdated, but may be a good source of references 22 job-years of employment for every MW wind energy: Windforce 10, a study released in October 1999 by EWEA, Greenpeace, and the Forum for Energy and Development, contends that wind energy could meet 10 percent of the world’s electricity demand by 2020. The report assessed the number of jobs that might be generated under this scenario. This assumes that 17 job-years of employment are created for every megawatt of wind energy capacity manufactured and an additional five job-years for the installation of every megawatt, for a total of 22 job-years. Windforce 10 accounts for rising labor productivity, estimating that the per-megawatt job figures will gradually decrease to 15.5 by 2010 and 12.3 by 2020. 15-19 job-years: The European Commission, for example, noted in a 1997 report that, as a rough rule of thumb, 1 megawatt of wind power-generating capacity installed creates jobs for 15–19 people under present European market conditions, and perhaps double that in countries with lower labor productivity. 14 job-years: In a 1997 study, Greenpeace Germany estimated somewhat more conservatively that 14 jobs are created by manufacturing and installing 1 megawatt.74 Jobs created by maintenance: EWEA estimates that in Europe, between 100 and 450 people are employed per year for every terawatthour of electricity produced, depending on the age and type of turbine used. Solar 3800 jobs per $100 million in sales: The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) claims that 3,800 jobs are created for every $100 million in PV cell sales. 20000 direct ad 150000 indirect jobs: The U.S. solar industries directly employ nearly 20,000 people now and indirectly support more than 150,000 jobs in diverse areas such as glass and steel manufacturing, electrical and plumbing contracting, architecture and system design, and battery and electrical equipment manufacture. Efficiency The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), for example, has assessed the impact of a “high-efficiency scenario,” assuming cost-effective improvements throughout the U.S. economy between 1992 and 2010. These run the gamut from betterinsulated windows to more-efficient lighting to highly fuelefficient cars. According to this model, average annual investments of $46 billion yield a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption below a business-as-usual scenario and a 24 percent reduction in carbon emissions. The study estimates that almost 1.1 million net jobs could be created by 2010. Just 10 percent of these are direct jobs in efficiency and in supplier industries; the rest are created as consumers and businesses re-spend the money they save through avoided fuel costs on other goods and services that are more laborintensive than the fossil fuel industry.82 See table on p 47 for job impact of various climate policy changes Transportation Job impact of two transportation modal shift studies, in Germany and England. Labor-environment potential Outside the United States, worker participation in environmental and conservation measures at industrial facilities is commonplace. Unions and management at the German chemical company BASF reached agreement in 1993 that provides for substantial union involvement in environment-related questions. In Japan, employee participation routinely yields large savings of energy and materials.113 Transition: An appropriate policy package would entail setting up a transition fund to provide income and benefits for displaced workers seeking a new career, tuition support to pay for vocational and other training programs, career counseling and placement services, plus aid in relocating to find a new job. Tax and subsidy structure Shift taxes from labor to resource use and energy In the United States, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and the Center for a Sustainable Economy (CSE) published a study in April 2000 that assessed the effects on employment of imposing a $50 per ton carbon tax and cutting payroll taxes by an amount equal to the revenue gained. These tax shifts were to be accompanied by a package of measures to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Using an input-output model, the EPI-CSE study found that, by 2020, industries employing 91 percent of all U.S. workers would experience lower overall production costs as a result of such policies, with the remaining 9 percent—employed in energy-intensive branches—experiencing a rise in production costs. The “winner” industries would gain 260,000 jobs, whereas the “loser” industries, particularly coal mining, would shed some 55,000 jobs. The EPI-CSE study notes that providing a generous transition assistance package to workers losing their jobs would take less than 1 percent of the annual carbon tax revenues. It also points out that measures to help energy-intensive industries adjust and become more energy-efficient would reduce negative job impacts.121