A new study backed by major labour unions concluded that clean coal technologies can help usher in a US economic boon, boost the nation’s energy security and successfully manage carbon dioxide emissions. The study, Employment and Other Economic Benefits from Advanced Coal Electric Generation with Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies, found that building up to 100 GW of new coal-fuelled generation would create nearly 49,000 new jobs, generate more than $45 billion in direct economic benefits and produce more than $100 billion in direct and implied benefits, given multiplier effects.

Prepared by BBC Research & Consulting using a US economic model, the study illustrates enormous economic gains under multiple deployment scenarios. According to the study, the construction, manufacturing and professional services sectors would see the largest economic gains.

The research was commissioned by the Industrial Union Council of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and the American Coalition for Clean Coal Energy.

A copy of the study is available at: www.coalcandothat.com/assets/resources/BBC%20FINAL%20020709[1].pdf