New Studies to Show Coal States Can Benefit From Climate Legislation

A study conducted by the University of California, Yale and the University of Illinois to be released Monday argues that both Ohio and Pennsylvania will experience both economic growth and job creation if the U.S. passes climate legislation.

The study could bear reading. Ohio and Pennsylvania are both heavily dependent on coal for their electrical power – electric cars in those states at the moment probably result in as many greenhouse gases as regular cars because of power plant emissions. Coal also provides a number of jobs in the Rust Belt. On the other hand, unemployment remains a huge problem and politicians like Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell have argued for years that the region can be revitalized by retrofitting factories to make wind turbines or energy-efficient building materials. Serious Materials re-commissioned a closed factory in the state earlier this year.

Look what is happening in Michigan and Ontario, after all. If Ohio and Pennsylvania become supporters of climate legislation, the bipartisan dominoes begin to fall.

The study, though, is just that: a study, which invariably is subject to bias and criticism. Still, should be interesting.