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The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Clean Energy Update
Welcome to the Clean Energy Update, your resource for news, facts and useful points on energy, environment, and climate issues. Congress is moving to pass historic clean energy jobs legislation that will retool the American economy, help consumers and businesses, and end our dependence on foreign oil.
6.2.09 • Focus: Jobs
Momentum Building for Clean Energy Jobs Plan
More than 100 events took place last week
Last week communities across the nation came together to support clean energy jobs. From manufacturing jobs in wind and solar to green buildings and weatherization projects, moving to a clean energy economy will put people back to work today and provide a healthy environment for our future. These events supported measures in the Recovery Act and called for an American clean energy jobs plan.
News Stories & Opinion
MSNBC Morning Joe clip on moving to a clean economy
Excellent clip from Morning Joe featuring Green for All, Tom Brokaw, Donny Deutsch and Joe Scarborough all expressing support for a clean economy.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (FL): Clean Energy: Bold action needed at national level now
Tourism and agriculture, the two largest industries in Florida, are both threatened by the effects of global warming. If we want to have a sustainable environment and grow our economy, then we need to take bold action now – particularly at the national level.
President Obama has made building a clean energy economy one of his priorities. Along with Congress, the President has made a significant down payment on creating a clean energy future by passing an economic recovery plan with more than $80 billion in green spending and a budget plan that prioritizes clean energy and funds important environmental initiatives. The next step is for Congress to pass a comprehensive clean energy and climate plan.
Detroit News: House energy bill will increase green jobs
While Michigan struggles with a 12 percent unemployment rate -- one of the highest in the nation -- great strides are being taken to retrain our work force for the green jobs of the future and get us back to work. And these efforts will have lasting impacts on the quality of our land, air and water.
Driving investment in clean energy technologies will create tens of thousands of high-paying American jobs -- jobs that can't be outsourced. And we need those jobs now more than ever.
Michigan's recently released Green Jobs Report shows we already have 109,067 green jobs. In fact, green job creation is far outpacing the rest of our economy with more than 350 green firms creating more than 2,500 jobs in our state -- an employment expansion of 7.7 percent. Our manufacturing sector is in dire straights, but investing in a clean energy economy, retraining workers and retooling manufacturing plants to enter the green marketplace will get our economy moving forward again while decreasing our nation's dangerous dependence on carbon-based fuels.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act, which the House Energy and Commerce Committee has approved, will continue this trend and expand our burgeoning green jobs economy -- breathing new life into Michigan's withering manufacturing sector.
Reuters: Philadelphia creates green jobs to weatherize row houses
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The City of Brotherly Love is tackling rising unemployment and improving the energy efficiency of homes by training people to weatherize its estimated 400,000 low-income row houses.
WTAE Pittsburgh: Allegheny Co. Announces Money for 'Green' Jobs for Youth
PITTSBURGH -- Officials in Allegheny County have announced close to $2 million in funding to create hundreds of "green" jobs for area youth.
According to a news release from County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, the $1.87 million grant from the Workforce Investment Act will fund a summer jobs program for 600 young people.
BusinessWeek: NY governor: Grants to spur clean energy jobs
New York Gov. David Paterson says state grants will leverage $95 million in federal economic stimulus funds to create as many as 400 research jobs for clean energy projects statewide.
The grants will bring together top scientists in fields ranging from solar energy and electricity storage to materials sciences, biofuels, advanced nuclear systems, and reducing carbon emissions.
