As voters contemplate who will occupy the White House and Congress in the years ahead, The Center for the Next Generation and the Center for American Progress released “Regional Energy, National Solutions,” a new report that argues that the United States needs a long-term strategy to achieve climate stability, economic prosperity, and energy security using the unique assets of each region of the country to choose smart places for investment in multiple forms of energy and fuel.
“We know the earth is warming, and resources are finite, and as a country, we simply cannot take a ‘drill baby drill’ approach that keeps us dependent on finite and carbon-intensive resources for our electricity and transportation needs,” said Kate Gordon, director of the advanced energy and sustainability program at The Center for the Next Generation and a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress . “Whereas the plan set forth by the American Petroleum Institute relies on centralized energy sources controlled by a handful of companies such as oil wells and power plants, our alternative strategy presents a range of energy and restoration projects that involve a huge variety of companies—large and small—in every region of the country. This is a country rich in natural resources and innovative talent—we should build on that to move the United States toward a truly advanced and sustainable energy future.”
The report finds:
The promise of the clean economy is not a mirage or a far-off goal; it’s being felt right now across the country, employing about 3.1 million Americans. In the second quarter of 2012 alone, more than 37,000 new clean energy jobs were announced in projects across 30 states.
Recognizing the critical need to enhance the energy security, the U.S. military has become a major proponent of clean technologies such as biofuels, efficiency, and solar, and the world’s largest investors agree that long-term climate change and clean energy policy is a tremendous investment opportunity. It is about time that the nation’s politicians support homegrown energy sources that jumpstart the country’s economy while protecting public health by decreasing the emission of harmful pollutants, the Center for American Progress says.
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Press release, October 22, 2012; Image: Scira