President-elect Obama is approaching the presidency with a bold renewable energy plan. As reported in the Christian Science Monitor and other resources over the past month, Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan – a stimulus package expected to total at least $800 billion – will put energy front and center among the various plans to jump-start the economy.
This plan, however, is not a short term boost but as the potential to form the foundation of a long term change in the US economy.
Green economy initiatives include (from the Obama/Biden website):
+ Invest in a clean energy economy and create 5 million new green jobs: Obama and Biden will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial scale renewable energy, invest in low emissions coal plants, and begin transition to a new digital electricity grid. The plan will also invest in America’s highly-skilled manufacturing workforce and manufacturing centers to ensure that American workers have the skills and tools they need to pioneer the first wave of green technologies that will be in high demand throughout the world.
+ Create new job training programs for clean technologies: The Obama-Biden plan will increase funding for federal workforce training programs and direct these programs to incorporate green technologies training, such as advanced manufacturing and weatherization training, into their efforts to help Americans find and retain stable, high-paying jobs. Obama and Biden will also create an energy-focused youth jobs program to invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth.
+ Boost the renewable energy sector and create new jobs: The Obama-Biden plan will create new federal policies, and expand existing ones, that have been proven to create new American jobs. Obama and Biden will create a federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that will require 25 percent of American electricity be derived from renewable sources by 2025, which has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. They will also extend the Production Tax Credit, a credit used successfully by American farmers and investors to increase renewable energy production and create new local jobs.
We’ve written in this blog and on our website about “green collar” jobs being the principle Second Bottom Line effect of Pure Power Distribution’s success. We will be watching the Obama initiatives closely and doing what we can to help create jobs and economic impact with our company and our products.
- Norris Lozano
