Metro Atlanta’s Sustainable Economy Growth Initiative

Abstract

Robert Pollin, Professor of Economics and Co-director Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Robert Pollin’s research centers on different facets of domestic and global macroeconomics and the economics of building a clean-energy economy in the U.S. Recently, he co-authored the studies “Green Recovery” (September 2008), “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy” (June 2009), and “Green Prosperity” (June 2009) exploring the broader economic benefits of large-scale investments in building a cleanenergy economy in the United States. Robert is currently consulting with the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Labour Organization on the economic analysis of clean-energy investments. In addition to publishing numerous studies, Robert is the author, co-author or editor of over eight books. Robert has a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and a M.A. and a Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research.Marilyn Brown, Professor, Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Visiting Distinguished Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Marilyn A. Brown joined Georgia Tech in 2006 after a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. At ORNL, she held various leadership positions and led several major energy technology and policy scenario studies. Dr. Brown remains affiliated with ORNL as a Visiting Distinguished Scientist. Marilyn has authored more than 200 publications including a recently published book on Energy and American Society: Thirteen Myths. Her research interests encompass the development and deployment of sustainable energy technologies and issues surrounding the commercialization of new technologies and the evaluation of energy programs and policies. Dr. Brown serves on the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Alliance to Save Energy, the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Marilyn has a B.A. from Rutgers University, a M.R.P. from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.Roberto Porzecanski, Associate, McKinsey & Company Inc. Roberto joined McKinsey in July 2010. Prior to joining McKinsey, Roberto was a Project Manager at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University, where he led the Working Group on Foreign Investment and Sustainable Development on the Americas , a collaborative research effort between fifteen economists from the U.S., Latin America, and India. Between 2004 and 2010 Roberto was also the United States’ Correspondent for Radio El Espectador, the leading news radio in Uruguay. Roberto received a B.A. in International Affairs from ORT University in Montevideo (Uruguay) in 2002. He received a Diploma in Economics from Uruguay’s Universidad de la República in 2003, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (2005) as well as a Ph.D. in International Relations from The Fletcher School, at Tufts University (2010). He is the author of several articles in peer-reviewed journals and of two books, published in 2010 by Stanford University Press and by Random House.Runtime: 98:28 minutes.According to “Sizing the Clean Economy” by the Brookings Institution: The clean economy, which employs some 2.7 million workers, encompasses a significant number of jobs in establishments spread across a diverse group of industries. Though modest in size, the clean economy employs more workers than the fossil fuel industry and bulks larger than bioscience but remains smaller than the IT-producing sectors. Most clean economy jobs reside in mature segments that cover a wide swath of activities including manufacturing and the provision of public services such as wastewater and mass transit. A smaller portion of the clean economy encompasses newer segments that respond to energy-related challenges. These include the solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, fuel cell, smart grid, biofuel, and battery industries. In the context of the Southeast, Georgia and Metro Atlanta, where are these jobs found and what are the prospects for future job creation