02.20.09

Cantwell Works to Move America Toward a Clean Energy Future

Recovery Bill Makes Down Payment on Economic Future; Creates Tens of Thousands of Green Jobs

VANCOUVER, WA – On Friday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) was joined by local businesses and organizations who will directly benefit from funding included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to move our country toward a clean energy future. Cantwell was instrumental in including provisions in the bill that make a down payment on our economic future and create tens of thousands of green jobs.
 
“This recovery package is not perfect, however it takes a bold and definitive step toward a clean energy future,” said Cantwell. “Clean energy industries will create millions of family-supporting jobs that will provide a secure future for our nation’s prosperity. Clark County is at the heart of this green revolution, and is the gateway for renewable energy technologies like wind and solar. We know as we continue facing this economic crisis, we have to look for smart ways to get our country back on track; and I can think of nothing better than making investments in clean energy, and to make us the leaders in what is likely to be the largest industry of the 21st century.”
 
Cantwell worked to secure $11 billion for smart grid technologies to modernize our nation’s electricity grid that will create 73,500 jobs nationwide; tax relief for consumers who purchase plug-in electric vehicles; funding for clean renewable energy bonds to finance facilities that generate electricity from wind, geothermal, hydropower, and other sources; and, extension tax credits to increase investments in wind and solar facilities.
 
In addition, Cantwell worked with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and other members of the delegation to include $3.25 in increased borrowing authority for the Bonneville Power Administration. This will allow BPA to connect more than 4,700 megawatts of renewable energy to the Northwest transmission grid in the next two years, creating approximately 50,000 green jobs.
 
“Senator Cantwell has always been a strong supporter of renewable– and particularly wind – energy, and fighting hard to keep wind energy as a big part of the Northwest’s renewable mix,” said Larry Paulson, executive director of the Port of Vancouver. “As the port develops more storage space for wind energy, and as we continue to build our business, the work Senator Cantwell has done is critical to our mission of creating jobs and economic benefit for this community.”
 
According to some estimates, clean energy jobs amount to 750,000 out of 150 million in the U.S., and there is the potential for 4.2 million new green jobs to be added by 2038. In Washington state, 47,000 green jobs exist among private-sector employers and account for more than $2.2 billion in earnings annually. Some estimates indicate the number of green jobs in Washington could increase to over 100,000 by 2038.
 
 
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