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From E&E News: "President Obama signed the $787 billion economic stimulus package into law today, touting the sweeping bill as a major step toward his goal of ramping up domestic production of alternative energy sources and making the country more energy efficient."
Much of the bill-signing event was built around highlighting the impact that the legislation would have on the renewable energy industry, as well as its role in aiding the development of a "smart" electricity grid.
"Because we know we can't power America's future on energy that's controlled by foreign dictators, we are taking a big step down the road to energy independence and laying the groundwork for a new, green energy economy that can create countless well-paying jobs," Obama said.
• Creating or saving 93,000 jobs over the next two years. Jobs created will be in a range of industries from clean energy to health care, with over 90% in the private sector.
• Providing a making work pay tax cut of up to $800 for 3,000,000 workers and their families. The plan will make a down payment on the President's Making Work Pay tax cut for 95% of workers and their families, designed to pay out immediately into workers' paychecks.
• Making 71,000 families eligible for a new American Opportunity Tax Credit to make college affordable. By creating a new $2,500 partially refundable tax credit for four years of college, this plan will give 3.8 million families nationwide - and 71,000 families in Virginia - new assistance to put college within their reach.
• Offering an additional $100 per month in unemployment insurance benefits to 247,000 workers in Virginia who have lost their jobs in this recession, and providing extended unemployment benefits to an additional 46,000 laid-off workers.
• Providing funding sufficient to modernize at least 165 schools in Virginia so our children have the labs, classrooms and libraries they need to compete in the 21st century economy.
In preparation for our Town Hall meeting at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk on Thursday, I had the pleasure of having an "email interview" with Randy Floyd of the Green Jobs Alliance. Randy along with his colleague John Esson are speakers at our Town Hall meeting which also features a presentation on Virginia offshore wind from VCERC's George Hagerman, and offshore wind jobs potential for Hampton Roads from VCERC's Tim Palieri. And considering that there are over 8,000 components to any one wind turbine, representatives from the US Steelworkers and IBEW will also speak. Delegate Joe Bouchard will discuss legislative hurdles and opportunities as well.
Anyway... here's the interview:
Q: The buzz these days is "green jobs", and unfortunately there seems to be a variety of definitions of what "green jobs" actually are. What's your definition?
A: My definition of "green jobs" are those jobs that point America in a new direction; technology jobs that move us toward energy-efficient "green" buildings, renewable resources, alternative energy powered vehicles, and better and more efficient sources of power, while re-tooling traditional blue collar jobs toward work that is more energy-efficient and environmentally driven-such as installing solar panels, weatherizing homes and businesses, or educating the general public about cost savings through energy efficiency.
Q: Are you afraid of what could be perceived as a token green washing of what green jobs really are?
A: Not really. Everyone has their own definition for green jobs, and that's okay. Anyone who attended the recent "Good Jobs, Green Jobs" conference in Washington, D.C. last week knows that all of us involved in this Green movement are very serious about changing America for the better. As green jobs become a reality, the results will speak for themselves. (More on the flip...)
YouTube videos from the Good Jobs Green Jobs conference are starting to pop up on the Blue-Green Alliance YouTube page. Here's part 1 of 2 from Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Also loaded up so far are U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown, Amy Klobuchar, Debbie Stabenow, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and Terence M. O'Sullivan, General President, LIUNA (Laborers International Union of North America). Good stuff all, but I'm waiting anxiously for Van Jones!
Here I am in DC! The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club has a contingency of about 12. We got in last night and attended a very nice reception at a nearby restaurant. Today, a number of us are dividing up into teams to head over to the Capitol to visit with our Virginia delegation in Congress. I'm heading up a team of folks visiting Rep. Glenn Nye Tom Perriello.
Lots of luminaries speaking, but I'm looking most forward to again hearing Van Jones on Friday morning. Here's the conference info. I'll report back as the day progresses and I'm able.
The House of Representatives today passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009! Also successful was passage of the Nadler amendment adding $3 billion in funding for public transit.
Below the fold I'll post statements from the various (and very happy) environmental groups as they come in.
Bottomline is there's good things and things that need to be improved in the Economic Recovery Package (aka American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) that will come up for a vote next week.
The bill reflects President Obama's vision that clean energy technologies and investment in green jobs are key drivers for economic recovery. It includes a range of both direct spending and tax incentives to boost clean energy production.
• $500 million to fully fund the Green Jobs Act of 2007. This program would train 70,000 workers in its first year to work in the fields of clean energy and environmental restoration.
• Extends Renewable Energy Tax Incentives.
• Extends Energy Efficiency Tax Credits. The legislation gives the Secretary of Energy additional authority to issue energy conservation bonds and extends tax credits for residential and non-business energy efficiency investments.
• $25.9 billion for Energy Efficiency Programs, including local government block grants, housing retrofits, low-income weatherization, and research. (Go Green Virginia!)
• $8 billion for Renewable Energy loan guarantees. Direct spending to provide loans through the Department of Energy to renewable energy generation and transmission projects.
• $4.5 billion for Grid Reliability & Efficiency. The legislation provides funds to pursue smart grid, reliability, and energy storage programs.
• $10.1 billion for public transit. These provisions fund a variety of programs designed to construct new transit systems, upgrade and repair existing systems, and improve services. It is estimated that this level of investment in transit will create over 300,000 jobs across the country. Nevertheless, transit programs could provide additional benefits and jobs with higher funding levels. Specifically, funding transit programs at the same levels as highway construction would create approximately 1.2 million jobs, while delivering superior environmental performance. (Tysons METRO? Norfolk Tide? Light rail to Virginia Beach?)
• $2 billion for Advanced Vehicle batteries. The legislation provides funding and loan guarantees for the development and manufacture of advanced technology batteries. These programs will encourage the creation of high-capacity batteries which can extend the range and power of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles. (Needless to say, Michigan is very excited about this.)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act also invests in critical environmental clean-up efforts. These projects protect public health while creating jobs repairing important infrastructure and cleaning up polluted industrial sites. Specifically, it is estimated that for each $1 billion of federal funding for water infrastructure improvements, between 30,000 and 47,500 jobs are created.
(Areas for stimulus bill improvement on the flip...)
"MMMMM...boy, that carcinogenic laced water sure does taste GOOD!"
"AHHHHH...breathe in that smoke-filled air...I just love the smell of industrial by-product in the morning."
"WOW...the acid rain is just doing wonders for my tomatoes!"
Certainly those are absurd statements that most rational people would never say or support. What person in good conscience would want their children playing in a polluted park or breathing in air that will lead to future respiratory problems?
However, from the time man found his first place to live, made his first fire, and sought a place to dispose of waste, we have been altering the landscape. Therefore, it is equally absurd to say that we should not build homes, engage in commerce, farm, and seek energy sources.
The question is how much impact should man have on earth? What balance should we pursue between economic forces and the preservation of the planet?
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From E&E News: "President Obama signed the $787 billion economic stimulus package into law today, touting the sweeping bill as a major step toward his goal of ramping up domestic production of alternative energy sources and making the country more energy efficient."
In preparation for our 
Here I am in DC! The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club has a contingency of about 12. We got in last night and attended a very nice reception at a nearby restaurant. Today, a number of us are dividing up into teams to head over to the Capitol to visit with our Virginia delegation in Congress. I'm heading up a team of folks visiting Rep. 
Bottomline is there's good things and things that need to be improved in the Economic Recovery Package (aka American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) that will come up for a vote next week.
