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Before the U.S. Senate takes up clean energy and climate change on Tuesday, Arkansas business leaders who favor the passage of such legislation fired off another salvo in the ongoing debate.

Arkansas Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy released a study Monday that says strong federal clean-energy policy can create 25,000 new green jobs in Arkansas, increase incomes by an average of $1,230 and impact the state's economy by $1.2 billion.

The study purports to take an in-depth look at the "three pillars" of the federal legislation to be debated in the Senate beginning Tuesday: energy efficiency, renewable energy and limits on carbon pollution.

"This study shows that the stronger the federal energy and climate policies, the more Arkansas stands to gain economically," said Eddy Moore, ABLCEE spokesman. "We need to grow our wind, bio energy and energy-efficiency industries and also employ thousands of people in developing and implementing more energy-efficient building and industrial-facility technology.

"These steps will put money into consumers' pockets to spend in the broader economy. Arkansas can play a bigger role in the emerging multibillion-dollar global clean-energy market."

The study concludes:

• Aggressive policy implementation results in greater economic and job growth in Arkansas by 2020 than moderate or no implementation.

• The strongest policies could generate up to 25,000 additional jobs in Arkansas, increase Arkansas real Gross Domestic Product by $1.2 billion and real household income by $1,230 per year (as measured in 2008 dollars) by 2020.

• Even moderate implementation drives economic growth in Arkansas, generating $400 million GDP and $457 household income growth.

• The more carbon dependent state economies have more to gain from climate action, assuming they adopt balanced policies that combine all three pillars (energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon pollution limits).

Green jobs are poised to grow in Arkansas, regardless of whether clean energy/climate change legislation is passed. More than 1,250 jobs in the wind-energy manufacturing industry are planned for the state over the next year.

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