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Clean Energy Trends --

Employment

As aforementioned, a major part of the Clean Power Plan's mission is to regulate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions [1]. One of the ways in which the United States has focused on following through with this reduction[2] is in the industrial sector. Critics of the Clean Power Plan have stated that the attempt in reducing these emissions is also going to be reducing the number of jobs in the United States because of the shrinkage in the industry sector.[2] There will be a 19% reduction in the iron and steel production, 21% reduction in cement production, and 11% in refining production. Conservative economists have found the co benefits of the Clean Power Plan are not as cost efficient as the EPA states. The Clean Power Plan will eliminate most coal power plants and begin replacing those with energy renewable sources such as wind and solar. Those who argue favorably for the Clean Power Plan have addressed the employment concerns of critics of the Clean Power Plan. While jobs will be decreasing in the industrial sector, there has also in been an increase nationwide[3] in the solar sector, wind sector, and energy efficient sector. One of the largest claims the EPA makes in promoting the Clean Power Plan is shutting down power plants; however, according to recent studies, it has been found that the indicated power plants were already going to be shut done due to other EPA regulations.[4] Many of the miners in the coal power plants state that these attempts in carbon reduction will be losing there jobs as a result of these reductions.

The NAACP released a report on the impact of communities affected by these same neighboring coal power plants in which are losing there jobs. The report states, of 378 of the coal power plants that were assessed for environmental justice performance, the affects on low income communities and communities of color, 75 of them received an F. In collaboration with Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), and the Indigenous Environmental Network, the NAACP combines these emission ratings with demographics, in which they found 78 percent of African Americans live within 30 miles of coal fired power plant as compared to 56 percent of non-Hispanic whites. 71 percent of African Americans live in counties that violate federal air pollution standards, as compared to 58 percent of the white population. Asthma affects African Americans at a 36 percent higher rate of incidence than whites. African Americans are hospitalized for asthma at three times the rate of whites and die of asthma at twice the rate of whites.

EPA anticipates that, due to their low costs and large potential in every state, demand-side energy efficiency policies and programs will be a significant component of state compliance plans. EPA’s analysis projects that the Clean Power Plan will spur a 7 percent reduction in electricity demand by 2030 from demand-side energy efficiency, reducing electricity bills in 2030 by $7/month on average for American families and businesses. ^[1]

While some are skeptical of the Clean Power Plan because of it’s job loss in the industrial sector, the EPA has made clear that in order for the Clean Energy Plan to be effective, community engagement [1] from low income, minority and tribal communities is essential. To ensure opportunities in communities, the EPA is requiring all states demonstrate how they are actively engaging with communities. The EPA has created a Clean Energy Incentive Plan[1] which will reward communities who invest in wind and solar generations, including The Clean Power Plan Toolbox. The toolbox includes a variety of resources from EPA and Department of Energy (DOE) that can help states learn about, design and implement proven, cost-effective energy efficiency strategies to meet their Clean Power Plan targets, including best practices implemented by other states and through EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program.^[10] In addition to incentivizing public engagement, they will also be testing air quality evaluations and providing demographic information in order to gauge the impact of air pollution on communities who are located near power plants. [1]