Climate policy inaction lost Oregon 26,000 jobs, groups say

A federation of business-oriented groups said in a report released Tuesday that inaction on comprehensive climate change legislation cost the creation of 1.9 million jobs nationwide and 26,000 in Oregon.

Further, the group — which includes the Small Business Majority, Main Street Alliance, American Businesses for Clean Energy and We Can Lead — said the United States is losing as much as $200 million per day in clean energy-related investments. It also raises the specter of China, saying that country is the clear winner in the wake of U.S. policy inaction.

The report states the nearly 600,000 of the never-created jobs would have been in states with unemployment rates over 10 percent — a list that includes Oregon. For example, California missed out on 226,000 jobs, Illinois never got 68,000 and Nevada never saw 17,000.

"The clean energy race will go on with or without the United States," said Chris Van Atten, spokesman for American Businesses for Clean Energy, in a press release. "How much further behind China and the rest of the world will the Senate allow America to fall?"

The report and a recording of an audio release is available here.

christinawiliams@bizjournals.com