National Renewable Electricity Standard Would Creat Jobs, Save Consumers Billions, Cut Millions Of Tons of Pollution

New UCS Report Documents Economic Benefits for Texas

SAN ANTONIO – A national renewable electricity standard requiring utilities to increase their use of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources would generate 17,630 new jobs in Texas, lower electric and natural gas bills, and slash global warming pollution, according to a new Union of Concerned Scientists analysis released today by Environment Texas. UCS examined the impact of a proposed national standard on the nation as a whole and on 20 states, including Texas.

“Turning on renewables in Texas would cut energy costs not only for individual families, but for small businesses and large energy users like the large Toyota Automotive Plant here in San Antonio,” said JJ Karabias, Federal Field Organizer with Environment Texas. “At the same time, increasing our use of renewable energy would help clean up air pollution and make a down payment in the fight against global warming.”

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.

For Texas, UCS’s analysis found that a 20 percent national renewable electricity standard would:

• generate an annual average of more than 17,630 renewable energy jobs between today and 2020 in manufacturing, construction and other industries.

• be a financial boon of $550 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 state residents $1.75 billion 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 $6.8 billion.

Nationally, UCS’s analysis found that a 20 percent national renewable electricity standard would:

• generate an annual average of more than 185,000 total renewable energy jobs 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.

• save consumers $10.5 billion 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 $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.

For individual state reports and UCS’s projection of the benefits of a national standard, go to www.ucsusa.org