President Obama came to office with a mandate to rebuild the American economy on a foundation of clean, renewable, and efficient energy. The report released today by the Office of the Vice President and the White House Council on Environmental Quality, “Recovery through Retrofit”, takes an important step in moving toward this goal. I applaud the Vice President for his vision in laying out clear, near term steps that the administration can take, acting on its own authority, to help drive new private sector investment into energy efficiency, as we build vibrant clean energy industries and put America back to work.
President Obama understands that economic recovery and low-carbon energy are inextricably linked. In an act of leadership, the very first hearing held by Vice President Joe Biden’s Middle Class Task Force, took on the challenge of creating green jobs building energy efficient homes, work places, and communities. I am gratified to see his impressive results in honoring that commitment to the American people.
Smart energy solutions will provide the bedrock for America’s long term economic recovery, growth, and competiveness. The plan laid out today will help create jobs in construction and manufacturing, it will restore investment in critical infrastructure, and generate new opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs. This is a critical first step in achieving a comprehensive clean energy policy for America. Now it is up to Congress to pass meaningful climate and energy legislation that invests in workers, infrastructure, and innovation.
We must build on this leadership by the White House, and come together as a country to launch a plan to rebuild America on a firm foundation. Retrofitting American buildings is a sound energy policy that can help restore our climate while saving American consumers tens of billions of dollars annually and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs each year. America is ready for recovery through retrofit. Let’s get to work.
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