FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Report: U.S. Senate's Inaction On Clean Energy Bill Costing U.S. 1.9 Million Jobs, Nearly 600,000 In States With Worst Unemployment Numbers

With U.S. Losing $260 Million a Day in Clean Energy Investments, More Than Half a Million Jobs Forfeited in 10 States With 10 Percent Unemployment or Higher

Iowa, September 14, 2010 -- China and other nations have gained more than $11 billion in job-creating clean-energy investments – with the U.S. losing an estimated $260 million every day – since the U.S. Senate abandoned comprehensive clean energy legislation in late July, according to a new analysis from the Main Street Alliance, American Businesses for Clean Energy, Small Business Majority, and We Can Lead. The analysis was released today on a national conference call featuring leaders of the four business groups.

The new analysis shows that, if left unremedied, the Senate’s failure to act will cost the United States 1.9 million jobs, including nearly 600,000 in the 10 states with joblessness in excess of 10 percent. The report documents that, in the nearly two months since the Senate failed to act, clean energy investments already have started shifting away from the United States to China and other nations.

"These are jobs that can't be outsourced and will provide the foundation for the small business customer base and healthy local economies for decades to come," said ReShonda Young, Operations Manager for her family’s business Alpha Express located in Waterloo, Iowa.

"In these tough economic times, it is extremely important that the Senate act to create these jobs that will help put people back to work and improve our economy."

Other key findings include the following:

• Nearly 600,000 of the unrealized jobs were lost where they are now needed most -- the 10 states with unemployment rates over 10 percent: Nevada (17,000 jobs); California (226,000); Rhode Island (8,000); Florida (78,000); South Carolina (36,000); Mississippi (19,000); Oregon (26,000); Indiana (45,000); Ohio (61,000); and Illinois (68,000).
• Even states with lower unemployment levels lost hundreds of thousands of urgently needed new jobs, including more than 300,000 jobs in the following states: Arkansas (25,000); Maine (12,000); Massachusetts (40,000); Minnesota (38,000); Missouri (29,000); Montana (13,000); New Hampshire (7,000); New Jersey (11,000); Pennsylvania (78,000); and Virginia (50,000).
• The lost jobs forfeited by the U.S. Senate include major categories of employment that could have put Americans to work immediately with little or no additional training or education – since a large portion of clean energy jobs require widely-held skills that millions of Americans already have.
• The Senate’s failure to take action is will have even wider negative economic consequences on American families, including Americans missing out on an increase annual household income of up to $1,175 per year, and a boost to America’s gross domestic product (GDP) of up to $111 billion – with these huge economic benefits flowing across all 50 states.

Contact:

Sue Dinsdale
515-277-5077 x14

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