Green Group Says Energy Legislation Will Bring Jobs

Green movement group Clean Energy Works released a series of studies today in support of strong, national clean energy legislation. The studies say that as many as 72,000 clean energy jobs could be created in Pennsylvania alone by the American Clean Energy and Security Act recently passed by the House.

Nonprofit PennEnvironment also supports the legislation, and spokeswoman Erika Staaf says so do 71% of Americans polled. She says that more than half polled also want the Senate to act quickly on the bill. Staaf says despite the raging health care debate, she's confident the Senate will look at the bill after their hiatus.

Staaf says although the Clean Energy and Security Act is good, her group would like to strengthen its renewable energy provisions and be more strict when it comes to giving out cap-and-trade credits.

The studies, performed by Pew Charitable Trusts, Zogby International, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Green for All / the Natural Resouces Defense Council, agree that the clean energy jobs created by the legislation would help low-income Americans especially.