New Energy for America Jobs, Security & Prosperity for the 21st Century

The document records a multi-sector call for a U.S. transition to clean energy, arguing that government investment and regulation can simultaneously drive economic growth, reduce oil dependence, and address climate change.

• Transitioning to a clean-energy economy is presented as a primary driver for job creation, with estimates suggesting it could create as many as three million new jobs in the United States.
• Overdependence on foreign oil, particularly from Saudi Arabia, is identified as a significant national security risk that warps U.S. foreign policy and necessitates a high defense budget to protect oil wells in the Middle East.
• The document argues that the U.S. is losing a competitive advantage to Japan, Korea, and Europe in the development of fuel-efficient and hybrid vehicles, necessitating stronger political leadership and national standards.
• The electricity industry is cited as the major human source of CO2; replacing older coal and gas plants with highly efficient gas-fired plants could reduce emissions by an amount equivalent to removing 326 million cars from the road.
• There is a call for the development of clean coal technology to utilize the United States' domestic coal reserves, which are estimated to be sufficient for nearly a century of energy needs.
• The document emphasizes that environmental justice is critical, noting that low-income communities and people of color often face the highest rates of pollution and asthma and must be included in the clean energy transition through education and mentorship.
• The transition to a clean energy economy is framed as a way to resolve the perceived conflict between labor and the environment, asserting that high-quality union jobs and environmental protection are mutually reinforcing.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2004). New Energy for America Jobs, Security & Prosperity for the 21st Century. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/new_energy_final.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. New Energy for America Jobs, Security & Prosperity for the 21st Century. 2004. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/new_energy_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=New Energy for America Jobs, Security & Prosperity for the 21st Century |date=28 July 2004 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/new_energy_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2004new, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{New Energy for America Jobs, Security \& Prosperity for the 21st Century}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2004}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/new_energy_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }