The new federal energy law addresses your concern at Section 1002 - The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program. It specifically identifies eligible workers to be, among others, those “impacted by national energy and environmental policies.” This program is supposed to go into effect this year, and the three Presidential candidates that are still standing have all talked about this need.

While I agree with your point, and the case made by Stern, one area of the “pro-growth” argument that has not been given enough attention is the fact that there will be some losers. Climate change policy will not treat everyone equally. How will workers in coal mines, steel mills, and other ghg intensive industries be provided for? While growth in green/clean tech jobs will rise, I don’t see a coal miner from Kentucky taking up a job building wind turbines.

I recognize that economies are always in transition, but that does not mean it will be easy for folks who have, using my previous example, worked in a coal mine for 30 or 40 years. How do you ensure those workers are taken care of? Answering that question will go a long way towards getting legislation passed in Congress.