Digging Up The Facts About Coal (NAPSA)—Energyis the lifeblood of modern developed countries worldwide. Continued energy price increases in recent years have had a significant impact on industrial and commercial businesses across the U.S. The successful companies are those that have been able to adapt, downsize or shift their operations offshore; the unsuccessful companies are those that have gone out of business. Arecent study by Management Information Services found an intriguing relationship between business energy prices and the rate of job growth. In recent years, the 10 states with the lowest business energy costs created 60 per- cent more jobs than the 10 states with the highest energy costs. Whatever the major economic indicators show nationally, employment shifts at state and local levels are largely attributed to increased energy prices. While the mix of fuels used varies from state to state, those states that rely more on coal tend to enjoy lower energy costs than the ones that rely on other fuels such as natural gas. As a result, the states that generate more of their electricity from coal, one of America’s most affordable fuels, can have better employmentrates. Coal Reality Energy prices faced by both consumers and U.S. businesses have increased rapidly over the last 10 years, ranging from a tripling of petroleum-based product prices to a more modest in- crease of just under 2 percent per year for electricity and coal. * Coal prices have shown the greatest stability over the period, rising only 17 percent. States With The Lowest Business Energy Costs Grow More Rapidly And Create More Jobs Than States With The Highest Business Energy Costs 70% Job Growth 60% Advantage 50% , 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Fconomi conomic Growth Advantage Source: ManagementInformation Services, Inc, 2006 @ Surprisingly, coal is a key factor in keeping energy costs down nationwide. Because of the large amount of coal used in generating electricity, electricity prices have also remained remarkably stable over the 10-year period. * However, other energy commodities that are fossil based in the U.S., including natural gas, motor gasoline and distillate/ diesel fuel, have experienced rapid and large price increases. Looking Ahead The bottom line is that states with the lowest business energy costs tend to grow more rapidly and to create more jobs than those with the highest business energy costs. To help fuel more jobs creation, Americans for Balanced Energy Choices promotes a dialogue with community leaders across the U.S. on issues involving America’s energy and environmental future. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.balancedenergy.org.
