Report: renewable standard would create jobs

A new report by Navigant Consulting says that a renewable energy standard (or RES) enacted nationwide requiring every state to get 25 percent of required electric power from renewable energy sources would create new jobs in every state — a total of 274,000 new jobs, including between 5,000 and 7,500 new jobs in Oregon specifically.

On the flip side, without a nationwide RES, the report warns that jobs will be lost nationwide, including up to 12,500 in Oregon.

The study, commissioned by the RES Alliance For Jobs also concluded that meaningful near-term RES targets (12 percent by 2014 and 20 percent by 2020) are critical to make sure that the U.S. renewable energy industry stays globally competitive, and stronger long-term targets (25 percent by 2025) would attract long-term manufacturing investment and project development.

The Oregon Renewable Energy Act of 2007 established a renewable portfolio standard for electric utilities and retail electricity suppliers, requiring large utilities to get 25% of their energy from renewable sources by 2025. Small utilities have a reduced goal.

Now that cap-and-trade legislation is all but off the table in Washington, D.C., a national renewable standard similar to Oregon’s may be more likely.

Download and read the full report.