Roland-Holst/Kahrl Climate Study Says Climate Bill Will Create 2 Million Jobs

This study finds that a robust climate bill could boost the U.S. economy by about $111 billion by 2020 and create as many as 1.9 million jobs.

The report, "Clean Energy and Climate Policy for U.S. Growth and Job Creation," is by David Roland-Holst and Friedrich Kahrl of the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with Madhu Khanna of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and Jennifer Baka of Yale University. Their findings run contrary to claims made by opponents of climate legislation in the U.S. Senate.

The team's analysis issued in late October 2009 offers a state-by-state look at the economic implications posed by comprehensive federal climate policy.

The study's key findings are:

• "All 50 states can gain economically from strong federal energy and climate policy, despite the diversity of their economies and energy mixes.

• "Contrary to what is commonly assumed, comprehensive national climate policy does not benefit the coasts at the expense of the heartland states.

• "The country as a whole can gain 918,000 to 1.9 million jobs, and household income can grow by $488 to $1,176, by 2020 under comprehensive energy and climate policy."

Hat Tip: Sonja Ebron [Blackenergy]