| August 12, 2009 |  |
NAM Study Grossly Exaggerates Costs of House Climate Bill
Statement by Liz Perera, Washington Representative, Union of Concerned Scientists
WASHINGTON (August 12, 2009)—Today, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released the results of an analysis the organization commissioned, looking at the costs of the Waxman-Markey energy and climate bill. The analysis wildly exaggerated the legislation's costs.
Below is a statement by Liz Perera, Washington representative at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
"History does in fact repeat itself. NAM released a study last year that grossly overestimated the costs of the Lieberman-Warner bill. They're doing the same with their analysis of the Waxman-Markey bill this year. They were wrong then and wrong now.
"The NAM analysis is far out of step with analyses by the EPA, Energy Department, and others which have found that comprehensive climate and energy legislation would have a minor effect on GDP.
"NAM released only a few of the assumptions they used in their study and those assumptions were flawed. For example, they inexplicably restrict the amount of wind energy that can come on line each year through 2030 to a level (5,000 megawatts) that was greatly exceeded last year (8,358 megawatts) and will soon be again this year. Their assumption regarding offsets also has no basis in the bill.
"When my organization released an analysis in April that looked at how the United States could reduce its global warming emissions in the most cost-effective manner, we made public all of our assumptions. We had nothing to hide. Our analysis found the United States could dramatically cut emissions and, at the same time, lower energy costs in every region of the country.
"It's time for the country to work together to resolve this problem, rather than trying to confuse the public. The choices we make today will have a direct result on our children and grandchildren's future."
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
