Today, both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed an economic recovery package containing $78.6 billion in clean energy, energy efficiency, and green transportation funding.
“With the clean energy and green transportation investments in this package, Congress has delivered a green economic recovery plan that will repower America and recharge our economy,” said Environment America Washington DC Director Anna Aurilio.
The final bill invests $32.80 billion in clean energy, $26.86 billion in energy efficiency, and $18.95 billion in green transportation. Environment America highlighted the following provisions:
• Extending and “recession proofing” the renewable energy incentives, which will prevent 55.8 million tons of global warming pollution per year by the end of the three year extension and create or protect 254,000 jobs in the near term;
• Creating a renewable energy manufacturing tax credit;
• Fully funding the Green Jobs Act at $500 million over 2 years which will train 70,000 workers in renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs;
• Investing $4.5 billion to upgrade our electricity transmission system to better take advantage of renewable energy and improve efficiency;
• Providing $5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, enough to prevent 9.7 million tons of global warming pollution and create 375,000 jobs;
• Providing $4.5 billion in green building funding to improve energy efficiency of the federal government, the nation’s biggest energy user;
• Funding the State Energy Program at $3.1 billion to help citizens and businesses save energy;
• Providing $3.2 billion in block grants for local government energy efficiency and renewable energy projects;
• Providing $8.4 billion in public transit, which will save 10.3 million barrels of oil and create or preserve 252,000 jobs, with $1.5 billion set aside for expanding capacity and upgrades to existing transit systems;
• Investing $8 billion for new high speed rail projects.
Environment America commended the House and Senate leaders who removed billions of dollars in loan guarantees from the final bill that could have been used for nuclear power and liquid coal.
“The clean energy investments we need to protect our environment and start solving global warming will create more jobs and stimulate the economy more than the dirty technologies of the past. We applaud President Obama and Congress for their work on a recovery package that will put America on a path to a clean energy economy,” concluded Aurilio.
