Oct. 27, 2009 7:02 a.m.
By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Ohio’s heavy reliance on carbon fuels and its available skilled work force position the state to uniquely benefit from comprehensive federal energy and climate policy, say advocates of those proposals. ##M:[MORE]##

On the eve of discussions to begin today in the U.S. Senate, an economic analysis was released Monday that concluded strong climate change policies could create up to 61,000 jobs in Ohio by 2020. The study, Clean Energy and Climate Change Policy for U.S. Growth and Job Creation, also found such policies could increase annual incomes by $992 per household and expand the state’s economy by $3.7 billion.

The report, which offers a state-by-state analysis of the impacts of three pillars of federal legislation -- energy efficiency, renewable energy and limits on carbon pollution -- was discussed during a conference call with reportersMonday.

The central findings of the study, reported David Roland-Hoist, professor of economics at the University of California and co-author of the study, are that a comprehensive national policy will grow the economy and generate new jobs; every state can benefit from adopting polices based on those three pillars; and the stronger and more comprehensive the national policy, the greater the “growth dividend.“

Nationally, 1.2 million jobs could be gained by 2020, he said.

What makes Ohio special is the skills of the state’s work force -- specifically people in the steel and automotive industries being underemployed, said David Noble of TechniGraphics Inc. and Environmental Entrepreneurs. Those skilled workers can be put to work building solar cells and wind turbines. “But that will not happen unless we have favorable policies in place,” he said.

“The other thing about Ohio is the more carbon-intensive you are the more your state has a chance to benefit,” said Eric Zimmer, CEO and founder of Tipping Point Renewable Energy and a member of the Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy.

Ohio gets about 90% of its electricity from coal, he said, and the state is one of the largest carbon emitters due to the amount of energy it uses.

“Many business leaders definitely recognize the need for comprehensive climate legislation and policies,” said Herman Bulls, chairman and CEO of Public institutions at Hones Lang LaSalle, an international property management firm whose clients include Proctor & Gamble. “Many of our clients are taking steps right now to reduce their energy use.“ He compared the potential benefits of alternative energy and energy efficacy technologies to the introduction of computers to many businesses 30 years ago, which significantly increased productivity.

Noble, the executive with Environmental Entrepreneurs, warned of the consequences of not developing a new energy economy. Jobs in that field are being developed in China, India and Western Europe and not in the United States because this nation is not attentive to the problems of climate change. “If we are not, we will lose those jobs to the rest of the world,” he said, keeping the United States dependent on other countries for its energy needs.

“Passing climate change legislation could be terrific for our economy. Not passing it could be devastating,” he remarked.

Copyright 2009 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.