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RELEASE: President Obama calls on SEEC priorities as part of his plan for job creation

December 8, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC -- In a speech to the Brookings Institution this morning, President Barack Obama called for increased investment and incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy and funding for infrastructure projects to get Americans working again, a move applauded by leaders of the Congressional Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC).

SEEC leaders praised these areas of the President’s outline for domestic job creation and indicated a desire to work with the White House to further develop proposals to stimulate job growth.

“Our coalition and the President are on the same page,” said SEEC Co-Chair Rep. Jay Inslee (D-W.A.). “It’s not often our long term goals and short term needs intersect, but now is that time and we must act. Investment in new energy technologies and the training to install them will put Americans back to work and lay the foundation for the new energy economy that will define the world in this century. We also feel that investing in projects to sustain the health and increase the capacity of America’s lands and infrastructure will create jobs quickly while preserving our rich national heritage."

“As we move forward on legislation to create jobs we need to ensure that new energy technology is at the center of our plan. Moreover, clean energy investment isn’t just about jobs – it’s about careers. Creating growth in this area will benefit our economy in the long-term. I applaud President Obama for recognizing this as a priority and look forward to working with him on this initiative,” said SEEC Co-Chair Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.).

Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) a SEEC Vice Chair whom has championed energy efficiency retrofits to create jobs while lowering energy costs and carbon pollution, said that “President Obama made clear today the job-creating potential of investing in energy efficiency retrofits. His endorsement of efficiency retrofits is a vital boost to a program that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

SEEC Vice-Chair Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) said, “I’m excited to see that President Obama sees the need to boost funding for clean energy programs, which have been oversubscribed. We need to continue incentivizing consumers to make their homes more energy efficient, and provide the resources to help private industry innovate, which will create jobs.”

SEEC leaders said that their coalition has been working since before the Thanksgiving holiday to develop its priorities for increasing domestic job creation. They indicated that their focus has been on increased investments and incentives for- and easier access to- energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as funding for transportation infrastructure and water and natural resources projects.

SEEC also said that increased attention will need to be given to worker training programs to better prepare the American workforce for future careers in our burgeoning clean energy and green building sectors.

“Energy efficiency programs are a win-win for our country. Creating jobs through initiatives that will provide cost savings to consumers while making vast improvements to health of our environment is key our nation's economic recovery,” said SEEC Vice Chair Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.).

“It’s truly heartening to see that President Obama is moving fast to improve the jobs situation in our country, while reaffirming what my constituents have known for years: clean energy equals job creation. Our coalition’s priorities are the product of what we know is working on the ground, and investment in clean energy that has proven to be an excellent job creator,” said SEEC Vice Chair Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.).

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