Using publicly available data from various agencies, we estimate the number of jobs created, as well as monetary savings from increased energy efficiency in our buildings and automobile fleet, that climate protection brings us. On all fronts, the news is good: the investments brought by the American Clean and Energy Security Act (ACES), improved CAFE standards (corporate average fuel economy), and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will pay off in many ways. The benefits are large, and this is true even leaving out other key benefits: protection for the climate, and from big oil's stranglehold on gasoline prices at the pump-which brought us $4/gallon last summer and record profits for the industry.

Here's a quick snapshot of our results, with links to detailed maps and documentation of assumptions and methodology (for a more detailed discussion of all of these analyses, visit Pete Altman's blog):

• Clean energy investments will create 1.7 million jobs. Efficiency and renewables investments create more jobs across all skill and education levels than comparable jobs in fossil fuel energy sources. Among workers with few educational credentials and little work experience, clean energy investments create 5.5 times as many jobs as fossil-fuel investments. Furthermore, 75% of those clean energy jobs provide opportunities for advancement and higher salaries, enabling workers to lift their families out of poverty.  

• The American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act allocates funding to produce the next generation of clean, fuel-efficient vehicles in the United States, and when combined with clean vehicle performance standards adopted by the Obama administration, the American on-road fleet will become about 25% more fuel efficient over the next decade. As a result, by 2020, Americans will drive more efficient vehicles and have lower household transportation costs. Even with modest increases in gasoline prices, cleaner vehicles will save us money by sipping instead of guzzling gasoline.  

• Americans in nearly every state will save on their monthly electricity bill under the American Clean Energy and Security Act. With its energy-efficiency and consumer protection provisions, ACES creates modest savings for most consumers. Even in the few states where savings compared to business-as-usual are not projected, bills still will be lower under ACES than they were in 2007.

Rather than being the jobs-killer and economic demise touted by the opposition's scare tactics, climate protection is an investment in our future on all fronts. What a deal.

For the creation of the state by state data and the accompanying maps, I'd especially like to thank my colleagues Pete Altman, Jackie Wong, Luke Tonachel, and Dan Lashof, who worked tirelessly on the extensive calculations needed for the analysis. In addition, Therese Langer from American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) also deserves special mention for developing the model that we used for our transportation calculations.

Note: Sources include the Energy Information Agency (EIA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), California Air Resources Board (CARB), Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Bureau of Labor Statistics, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Census.