The Industrial Union Council of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) on February 11 released a study entitled "Employment and Other Economic Benefits from Advanced Coal Electric Generation with Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies (Preliminary Results)."
The study estimates the employment and economic benefits resulting from deployment of advanced coal-based electricity generation facilities (power plants) equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Depending on how many CCS-equipped plants are deployed, some 5 to 7 million man-years of employment could be created during construction, and a quarter of a million permanent jobs added during operations (see table below.)
Conducted by BBC Research and Consulting, the study assumes that 20, 65 and 100 gigawatts (GW) of advanced coal-based electricity generation equipped with CCS are added to the nation's generation mix. (One gigawatt provides enough electricity to power 300,000-400,000 homes. There are slightly more than 300 gigawatts of coal-based power plants in operation today). In addition, the study estimates the benefits of HR 6258, introduced by Representative Boucher in 2008, that provides independent funding support for the early commercial demonstration of CCS technologies.
A U.S government economic model was used to calculate the resulting benefits in terms of jobs, output, value-added (GDP) and labor income associated with both the construction and operation of advanced coal-based facilities equipped with CCS.
Preliminary results of the study are summarized in the tables below:
Cumulative Benefits During Construction
Benefits 100GW 65GW 20GW Boucher
Jobs 6.9 4.5 1.4 0.2
(million job years)
Output $1.1 $0.7 $0.2 $0.03
(trillions)
Labor Income $368 $240 $75 $12
(billions)
Annual Benefits During Operations
Benefits 100GW 65GW 20GW Boucher
Jobs 251 153 48 7.5
(thousands)
Output $58 $36 $11 $2
(billions)
Labor Income $17 $10 $3.2 $0.5
(billions)
Bob Baugh, executive director of the Industrial Union Council, AFL-CIO, representing some 3 million union members, including the IBEW, Boilermakers and Mine Workers, observed that: "Our nation needs good jobs and new technology that will cut our carbon emissions. It is time to quit talking about advanced coal technology and begin building it."
Ed Hill, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, stated that: "This study is a valuable contribution to the national debate on energy policy. While we support the development of wind and solar power on a large scale, the only realistic course for our nation is to minimize the carbon emissions from coal generation, which, along with nuclear, will continue to be a vital part of our energy mix for the foreseeable future."
Newton Jones, president of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers said: "Carbon capture and storage technology is essential to enabling the responsible use of our nation's strategic coal reserves - a resource we cannot ignore if we are to make energy independence a reality. This study demonstrates that it also has the potential to create thousands of good paying jobs for boilermakers and other union building trades. We urge policymakers to keep the results of this study in mind as they move forward in regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and take appropriate steps to encourage the commercialization of CCS technology."
"This study demonstrates that developing CCS technology in America is a win-win-win for all concerned," UMWA international president Cecil E. Roberts said. "Workers and their families win, the communities where these facilities will be constructed win, and the environment wins. It's time to get started."
"The results of this study show the importance of deploying CCS technologies, not only because of their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also because of their substantial economic benefits. At the same time, we must ensure that these technologies are developed and commercialized as rapidly as possible to achieve these benefits," said Steve Miller, president and CEO, ACCCE.