Understanding the Impact of Renewable Energy on the Job Market
It’s so good to see that Dr. Robert Pollin, whom I interviewed five years ago for my second book (Is Renewable Really Doable?) is still hard at work at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. If you want to see a resume’ that’s as long as your arm, you may want to check this out.
For decades, he and his associates have been analyzing, with ever-increasing rigor, the effect of renewable energy on the economy, in particular, the employment rate. There is a long-running misconception that clean energy is a job-killer, and that environmental regulations in general serve to damage the economy; PERI’s work has gone a long way to dispelling this myth.
Here’s an interview with Pollin’s associate researcher Heidi Garrett-Peltier (pictured), who holds a Ph.D. in Economics, whose research focuses on the employment impacts of public and private investments, particularly in the realm of clean-energy programs. Heidi has written and contributed to a number of reports on the clean energy economy, and she does a great job explaining her work.
@ Craig
Thanks for sharing I have stumbled across some of Dr R Pollin ‘s papers over the years. Find lots of Common Ground with him .
His concepts lead to a Circular Economy like Lee Blevins talked about.
It would have been wonderful if Obama had of included this Visionary into his cabinet or at least tried for policies that included his concepts but he chose safe middle ground and allowed the established banks to set the tone. We could have seen better and bigger results.
but those entrenched forces will not allow a transformation of our economy and social structure. They win either way .
The end result a Diluted 8 years lots of Promise but little real structural changes and Obama will have the rest of his life to contemplate his Over selling of Real change to the Public. At least he was selling something conceptually good his poor execution aside.
Perhaps he may surprise us and get real active going forward in his Post Presidential time.
He has the Heart but perhaps his centrist tendencies and bad habits learned under clinton may keep him in a centrist go along to get along style.
His failure and our loss, though I still like him and think he was good President but he Missed his Moment that is the point.
If you could get R Pollin to share some real job creation data from solar and wind per megawatt would be helpful.
Yes sir Regulations create many jobs in many cases but the facts get drowned out in the echo chambers of the media circus we live under now.
This man and his team have asked some tough questions and exposed the flaws in traditional economic , neo liberal and hyper militaristic
economic / social structures that we are Burdened with now.
they do good work.
Pollin would clash with the trumper or trumpet big time.
Austerity is a failure but get ready for more as its coming from the new forces that have taken over.
Thanks