The purpose of this study, conducted in collaboration with the City of Atlanta Office of Sustainability, Southface, CentralAtlanta Progress, and InvestAtlanta, is to develop an input-output (I-O) model with IMPacts for PLANing (IMPLAN) analysis to estimate the employment and labor income potential of energy efficiency and solar power programs in the City of Atlanta.  This document explains the methodology of the model and its potential uses to understand the economic implications of programs underway or under consideration in the City of Atlanta.  It also provides a brief analysis of how investments in clean energy programs and related shifts in expenditures might benefit the local economy and opportunities for employment.

 

The key data for the calculations are impact coefficients for 2013 in Fulton County developed through IMPLAN.  IMPLAN is an econometric modeling system developed by applied economists at the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Forest Service. Currently in use by more than 500 organizations, IMPLAN models the trade flow relationships between businesses and between businesses and final consumers.