ATR vs. Reality: Green Jobs In Indiana

Americans For Tax Reform Gets It Wrong On Indiana Green Jobs

Americans for Tax Reform:

In our continuing, daily, state by state, look at the financial impact of the Waxman-Markey Cap and [Trade] Tax Bill, we will show you the projected losses in Gross State Product, Personal Income, and Non- Farm Jobs in Indiana. 

Detailed information on this and other energy taxes can be found in the Americans for Tax Reform Energy Tax Analysis, May 2009. 

Indiana:

According to a study by Karen Campbell, Ph.D. and David Kreutzer, Ph.D. at the Heritage Foundation, Indiana will suffer the following losses in 2012 as a result of Cap and Tax: 

• A decline in Gross State Product of -$2,832,130,000
• Total Personal Income Loss of -$3,687,930,000
• Non-Farm Job losses of 35,846

An update to the Heritage Foundation's study further shows an: 

• Increase in Electricity Prices from 2012-2035 of $507.92 per household.
• Increase in Gas Prices from 2012-2035 of $0.70 per gallon.[Americans for Tax Reforms, 8/28/09]

Nothing could be further from the truth

Indiana Will Gain 38,000 Jobs From An Investment In Clean Energy Technologies.  According to the Center for American Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute, Indiana could see "a net increase of about $3.1 billion in investment revenue and 38,000 jobs based on its share of a total of $150 billion in clean-energy investments annually across the country. This is even after assuming a reduction in fossil fuel spending equivalent to the increase in clean energy investments. Adding 38,000 jobs to the Indiana labor market in 2008 would have brought the state's unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent from its actual 2008 level of 5.9 percent." [Center for American Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute, Clean-Energy Investment Create Jobs In Indiana, 6/17/09]

• Every Single State Will Gain Jobs From An Investment In Clean Energy Technologies. According to the Center for American Progress, investments in clean energy projects would create 1.7 million American jobs in every state in the country. [Center for American Progress, The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy, 6/17/09]

By 2025, Cap-And-Trade Will Save Americans $95 Billion

By 2025, A Clean Energy Standard Would Save $95 Billion On Energy & Gas Bills.  According to the Center for American Progress: "A national renewable electricity standard, a key piece of the clean energy legislation currently before Congress, would save households and businesses in every state billions of dollars in electricity and natural gas bills... The numbers come from the Union of Concerned Scientists, who earlier this year analyzed a renewable electricity standard that would aim to have 25 percent of our electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. They found that this standard would save families and businesses $95 billion in electricity and natural gas bills through 2030 and spur new investments and hundreds of thousands of new clean-energy jobs." [Center for American Progress, 5/19/09]

71% Of Americans Support The American Clean Energy And Security Act

71% Of Americans Support The American Clean Energy And Security Act.  According to a poll conducted by Zogby International, "A majority of likely voters - 71% - favors the American Clean Energy and Security Act recently passed by the House of Representatives, and two-thirds (67%) believe Congress is either doing the right amount (22%) or should be doing more (45%) to address global warming, new Zogby International telephone poll shows.  Just 28% believe that Congress is doing too much." [Zogby International, 8/11/09]

Americans For Tax Reform Cites Heritage Foundation Study

ATR's post is based on a study by the Heritage Foundation, which receives significant funding from ExxonMobil.

The Heritage Foundation Received $50,000 From ExxonMobil In 2008. According to ExxonMobil's 2008 Worldwide Contributions and Community Investments disclosure, they donated $50,000 to the Heritage Foundation in 2008. [2008 Worldwide Contributions and Community Investments, accessed 8/3/09]