Electricity use in the Mid-Atlantic region is projected to grow by almost 20 percent over the next decade. To meet this future demand for energy, wind and solar power are the best bets for job growth, according to a new report from the Maryland Public Interest Research Group (MaryPIRG).
The group’s report "Renewables Work: Job Growth from Renewable Energy Development in the Mid-Atlantic," shows that increasing renewable energy in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic Region would create thousands of jobs and increase economic activity in the state.
The research group has found that choosing wind power over a comparable amount of power generated by natural gas would create more than twice as many jobs.
The potential for renewable energy to boost Marylands economy is enormous, said Gigi Kellett, advocate with the MaryPIRG Foundation, which issued the report on Thursday.
At a time when the state is scrambling for ways to bolster the states business climate, promoting renewable energy jobs is an easy choice because it means more jobs for our state and, ultimately lower and more stable energy bills for consumers and businesses.
MaryPIRG cites estimates by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), showing that the Mid-Atlantic region has enough natural wind resources to generate over 52 million megawatts per year, over 17 percent of current demand. This does not include potential from offshore wind power.
By developing the currently feasible sites, the Mid-Atlantic region would see over 11,000 new year long jobs in manufacturing, with a payroll of $334 million; 740 permanent jobs in wind farm operation and maintenance, with a yearly payroll of $30 million; and 12,700 year-long jobs and 850 permanent jobs indirectly supported by the wind industry.
At least $23 million in royalties paid to rural landowners who lease land for wind generation. Maryland has good wind resources that can bring local jobs, tax revenues, and investment to Marylands rural counties, said Kevin Rackstraw of Clippper Windpower, Inc.
Renewable energy programs provide a signal to the markets that there will be long-term demand for renewables, which in turn gives investors and power buyers the confidence to sign the long-term power deals that are necessary to bring substantial amounts of clean power to Maryland consumers."
Wind energy in particular has the potential to be the cheapest and cleanest new power source available in the coming years to consumers in Maryland and the region, Rackstraw continued. The group has great hopes for the future of solar power, noting that NREL predicts that at least 10 percent of U.S. power generation capacity will be solar photovoltaic cells by 2030.
Currently, Maryland does offer an incentive for installation of solar power. An individual or a corporation may claim a state income tax credit of 15 percent of the total installed cost of a solar water heating or photovoltaic system. The maximum credit is $2,000 for a PV system and $1,000 for a for solar water heating system.
Installing a two kilowatt photovoltaic system on just one out of 10 homes in the Mid-Atlantic region would create 5,710 year long local jobs in installation, operation, and maintenance and 8,080 year long manufacturing jobs, the group estimates.
"As this report shows, clearly Maryland will only benefit from increased clean energy development. Wind and solar not only reduce air pollution and nuclear waste, prevent natural gas price spikes, and increase reliability, but clean energy also benefits our workforce and the economy," said Kellett.
In New Jersey, the report was promoted by the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group, joined today by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 269 and the wind company Community Energy.
The report was released the day after the Board of Public Utilities finalized new requirements on power companies to provide more clean energy to New Jersey homes and businesses. The new rules will increase the use of solar power in New Jersey more than tenfold, and require that four percent of the states electricity come from clean renewable sources, all by the year 2008. The solar requirement within the rules has resulted in dozens of new solar companies flocking to the state.
Renewable energy like solar and wind have enormous potential to create jobs and boost New Jerseys economy. NJPIRG strongly supports the McGreevey administrations actions to increase clean energy in New Jersey, said energy advocated Emily Rusch.
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