U.S. Needs $500 Billion Clean Tech Investment, 5 Million
Green Jobs: Report
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- A new plan for reviving and strengthening the
U.S. economy calls for an investment of $500 billion over 10 years on a
range of energy, education, construction, building and manufacturing
programs that would create 5 million jobs.
The New Apollo Program is the creation of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition
of business, labor, environmental and community leaders promoting clean
energy, energy efficiency and green jobs.
The five sections of the program include numerous recommendations, ranging
from expanding and continuing existing programs to developing new funds and
systems for cutting carbon. An underlying theme throughout the plan is
improving conditions in the U.S. though better infrastructure, education and
good jobs.
Rebuild America Clean and Green
The Alliance calls for a national commitment to reduce energy use in new and
existing buildings by at least 30 percent by 2025. A proposed Energy Smart
Fund would funnel grants to state and local entities to provide energy
services and financing.
The plan also includes producing 25 percent of the country's power from
renewable and recycled energy sources by 2025, and improving the energy
efficiency of existing power plants and industries by 20 percent - primarily
through combined heat and power systems - by that same year.
Additional measures include connecting neighborhoods and cities with
improved transit systems, enhancing transportation infrastructure by first
fixing it instead of expanding it, using smart grid technology to manage
power better, extending tax credits related to renewable energy and
investing in carbon capture and storage.
Make It in America
As the market for renewable power and alternative vehicles increases, more
jobs will be needed to build and maintain new energy systems. Manufacturing
in the U.S. will create jobs and increase our energy security, the Alliance
argues.
To do that, the federal government needs to provide funding for the auto
industry to retool manufacturing plants and create highly-efficient
vehicles, The New Apollo Program says. It also calls for consumer rebates
and incentives to help people purchase efficient vehicles and tax credits
for fueling stations to expand the availability of cellulosic ethanol,
sustainably-produced biodiesel and other low-carbon fuels.
Restore America's Technological Leadership
In 1979, public investment in energy-related research and development was at
$7.8 billion in today's dollars. Now it's at $4 billion.
The New Apollo Program recommends doubling the national investment in clean
tech R&D, with a focus on advanced energy storage systems for improved grid
management, smart grid technologies to reduce peak energy demand,
nanotechnology and advanced materials science for new solar cells and
ultra-light wind-turbines, the widespread introduction of plug-in hybrid
vehicles, and advanced cellulosic ethanol and sustainable biodiesel
production.
A National Energy Innovation Fund would invest in the most promising
technologies coming out of the U.S.
Tap the Productivity of the American People
To achieve all of the above, the U.S. is going to need people making solar
panels, installing wind turbines, monitoring the grid, maintaining electric
cars and researching new fuels.
To achieve that, the Alliance says the U.S. should expand the Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce Training Program created in last
year's energy bill, provide funding specifically for providing green career
training for people living in poverty, double federal support for national
service programs and award 100,000 Clean Energy Tomorrow scholarships each
year to students pursuing undergraduate degrees in science, math or
engineering.
Reinvest in America
Lastly, to help fund many of the new efforts, the program includes a federal
"cap and invest" system that would create a cap on carbon emissions, allow
allowances to be traded and invest proceeds back into energy efficiency,
renewables, transit, transportation and green jobs programs.
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