Washington, D.C. – The U.S. faces a choice about our future economic growth, and in particular about our commitment to becoming a global leader in the clean energy economy. This conference is intended to explore the question of what a new clean energy economy might look like, how America’s choices for economic growth fit into the larger context of global trade, and how to begin thinking about the future workforce and education system that will be necessary for America to take a leadership position and be a winner. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) will address these issues and highlight the new reports from CAP and the Apollo Alliance. See full agenda below.
The Center for American Progress will release a new report "Out of the Running? How Germany, Spain, and China Are Seizing the Energy Opportunity and Why the United States Risks Getting Left Behind." These three countries have vastly different political economies, but are alike in that each one is implementing clean-energy policies across three critical areas: markets, financing, and infrastructure. As a result, these countries are pulling far ahead of the United States in clean-energy production, installation, and export—and increasingly in clean-energy innovation as well. In fact, when clean-energy technology product sales were expressed as a proportion of respective gross domestic product, the United States ranked 19th on the list. The report concludes, however, with a clean-energy investment agenda that will boost our competitiveness and economy in the United States.
The new report by the Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, "Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy," focuses on manufacturing jobs in the clean energy economy. This report analyzes the United States’ competitive position in the global race for clean-energy manufacturing jobs. It finds that under current policies, the U.S. stands to lose an estimated 100,000 clean-energy manufacturing jobs to foreign competitors between now and 2015, and potentially a quarter million manufacturing jobs by 2030. The report also finds that many U.S. and foreign-based clean-energy manufacturing firms are investing money and creating jobs in low-wage countries such as China that are key competitors in the clean-energy race.
For more information about the conference, please see full agenda below.
If you are a member of the press and would like to RSVP, please contact Suzi Emmerling at [email protected] or 202-481-8224. Space is extremely limited—an RSVP is required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and not guaranteed.
Picking a Winner: How to Make the U.S. a Leader in the Clean Energy Economy
Thursday, March 4, 2010
8:30-9:00 a.m. Registration and coffee
9:00-9:45 a.m. Opening Remarks
Phil Angelides, Chairman, Apollo Alliance
John Podesta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for American Progress
9:45-10:15 a.m. The American Clean Energy Economy in 2020: What Should It Look Like and How Can We Get There?
Rob Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Bob Borosage, President, Institute for America’s Future
Peter Brehm, Vice President of Business Development and Government Relations, Infinia Corporation
Kathleen McGinty, Former Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Moderated by:
Susan McGinnis, Managing Editor and Anchor, Clean Skies News
11:30-12:15 p.m. Keynote Speeches: Perspectives from House and Senate Champions on How to Grow a Thriving and Globally Competitive Clean Energy Economy
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA)
1:00-2:30 p.m. The U.S. and the World: What Are Other Countries Doing and What Could the U.S. Do?
Thea Lee, Deputy Chief of Staff, AFL-CIO
Leo Hindery, Chair of the U.S. Economy/Smart Globalization Initiative, New America Foundation
Julian Wong, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for American Progress
Joan Fitzgerald, author of Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development
Moderated by:
Bracken Hendricks, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
2:45-4:15 p.m. Educating the Clean-Energy Workforce of the Future
Andy Levin, Chief Workforce Officer, State of Michigan
Louis Soares, Director of the Postsecondary Education Program, Center for American Progress
Van Jones, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; Founder, Green For All
Joel Rogers, Director, Center on Wisconsin Strategy
Moderated by:
Kate Gordon, Vice President for Energy Policy, Center for American Progress
4:15-5:00 p.m. Making America A Winner in the Clean Energy Economy
Jared Bernstein, Chief Economist and Economic Policy Advisor to Vice President Joseph Biden
Phil Angelides, Chairman, Apollo Alliance
RSVP
If you are a member of the press and would like to RSVP, please contact Suzi Emmerling at [email protected] or 202-481-8224. Space is extremely limited—an RSVP is required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and not guaranteed.
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