This book presents the papers and discussant comments delivered at the first Milken Institute for Job and Capital Formation conference, held October 21-23, 1992, in Santa Monica, California. The papers offer findings on links between economic policy and economic growth. .

The links between economic policy and economic growth are simultaneously obvious and obscure, with many factors interacting to influence the overall process. The list of relevant parameters affecting economic growth of interest to scholars and policymakers is lengthy and expanding. Although the importance of government policy is widely recognized,

This volume examines the outlook for renewable energy in electricity generation-particularly wind and solar power-as a substitute for conventional fuels such as coal and natural gas. Economist Benjamin Zycher evaluates the central arguments in favor of policies that would make way for broader use of renewables and concludes that all are deeply problematic. "Renewable" energy sources are not superior in cost to conventional fuels; nor are they less taxing on the environment. The popular argument that increased use of renewables will create "green jobs" is likewise a fallacy-because wind and solar power are costly and inefficient, the net economic impact is a negative one. Zycher concludes that resource-use behaviors emerging from market competition are the best guides to effective, sustainable energy policies.