Boston, MA – Environment Massachusetts praised the economic recovery proposal released by the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations and Ways and Means committees today as making bold investments in clean energy and energy efficiency.
“This economic recovery proposal will not only help keep the lights on across America but will make them greener,” said Environment Massachusetts Field Organizer Winston Vaughan. “Investments in clean energy and energy efficiency will put Bay Staters, and all Americans to work in good jobs building a new clean energy economy.”
The committees’ plans included the following proposals lauded by Environment Massachusetts:
extending the renewable energy production tax credit and making it “recession proof;”
investing $6 billion in efficiency and conservation renovations in federal buildings;
investing $6.2 billion to help low income families weatherize their homes; and
providing $6.9 billion in community block grants to fund state- and city-run efficiency programs.
Environment Massachusetts released a report earlier this week outlining investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and public transportation that could cut America’s global warming pollution by 10 percent, provide the power equivalent of 170 coal power plants, and save the oil equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road each year ? while creating 3 million jobs.
“Clean energy can be the workhorse of America’s economic recovery. But to fully realize that potential, Congress should do much more for public transportation,” continued Vaughan. Environment Massachusetts applauded funding for more efficient buses and other pressing transit improvements. Investing in ready-to-go transit expansion and other green transportation and ensuring highway funds go to fixing our crumbling roads and bridges instead of new highway capacity would create more jobs and environmental benefits than new highways, according to their analysis.
In addition, the group urged more action on clean water. The American Society of Civil Engineers has given our nation’s water infrastructure a grade of D-minus. “The Clean Water funding in this proposal falls short of the immediate potential to put Americans to work on ready to go projects that are urgently needed to safeguard America’s clean water supplies from pollution and waste,” said Environment Massachusetts’ Senior Environmental Attorney John Rumpler.
The group warns that Big Oil, King Coal, the road-builders and other polluting interests want to dominate the economic recovery program. “This proposal is a good start and we are calling on Congress to keep it clean. By making clean energy and green infrastructure investments a cornerstone of any economic recovery package, we can make a down payment on solving global warming and ensure a clean, safer, stronger America,” concluded Vaughan.
Environment Massachusetts’ report, Clean Energy, Bright Future, is available at www.environmentmassachusetts.org/reports.
