The Loudoun Independent: John Warner And Connolly Join Federal Officials In Highlighting Clean Energy

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As world leaders convene in Copenhagen to talk about global climate change, officials on the national front gathered in Arlington Monday morning to discuss how investing in clean energy can stimulate the economy.

Virginia, in particular, is faced with a unique challenge when it comes to climate change, as it is the second-most vulnerable area on the east coast to global warming, said Gov. Tim Kaine (D), the moderator of the event.

With this vulnerability comes great opportunities for innovation, he said. Among the top concerns for Virginia is the need to develop better land and transportation patterns to reduce greenhouse gases, as well as figuring out the next generation of nuclear energy, Kaine said.

The scope of the Clean Energy Economy Forum included both local and national goals, in addition to how foreign nations have been able to harness resources for energy. Panelists included U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewables Cathy Zoi, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and former U.S. Sen. John Warner (R).

"The energy movement is sweeping the country, and someone has got to be a leader," Kaine said, indicating that Virginia should be out front on efforts to institute clean energy practices.

Of particular interest to Virginians, Connolly would like to change how localities qualify for road funding and transit funding. Because transit funding is distributed federally, it does not go through the Commonwealth's governor or General Assembly. The federal government decides whether to pay and whether the design is feasible, a practice Connolly called "intrusive" and discouraging for localities to apply for.

Already, Virginians are seeing a benefit from transit investments with the current development of a rail to Dulles International Airport, Connolly said. With $77 million paid up front for the Dulles rail project, Virginia's taxpayers are saved $15 million in finance costs, added Connolly's communications director, George Burke.

One of the top priorities for Salazar is better utilizing the Outer Continental Shelf, he said. Because the shores of the Atlantic Ocean are relatively shallow, Virginia has the opportunity to place many offshore wind energy facilities, Salazar said.

Virginia has worked with Maryland and Delaware to harness offshore wind, a feat that Salazar lauded Kaine for accomplishing. "We will succeed only to the extent that we can work together," Salazar said.

In addition to creating a healthier environment, clean energy can also provide jobs. With applications currently being processed, Salazar predicted that 40,000 new jobs will be created by the end of next year to harness solar energy.

"[The Department of Agriculture's] efforts to advance America's energy independence and combat climate change will create jobs and wealth in the nation's rural communities with profound benefits for our farmers, citizens and planet," Merrigan said. "The passage of a strong climate bill will have a net benefit for America's farmers and ranchers." Additionally, certain resources are climate-dependent, she said, so also farmers have a stake in a strong climate bill.

Similarly, the Department of Energy also has the opportunity to create jobs in the clean energy movement. Economic growth is happening across the state and is coming with a variety of jobs, Zoi said.

Tens of thousands of homes will be weatherized in Virginia alone, lowering the energy costs for low-income residents. To accomplish this, the DOE is hiring a score of new people, as early as this week. Nationwide, Zoi predicted that two million homes will be weatherized.

New and emerging technologies will bring jobs to this area, Zoi said. Sprint and Nextel, with offices in Reston, will hopefully spark more technology companies to move to the D.C. Metro area. Research in the Commonwealth's colleges and universities will help to create green jobs, Zoi added.

"We're on the cusp of the next industrial revolution," Zoi said. "By aggressively pursuing clean energy technologies, we have the opportunity to lead the world in a new industrial revolution and put Americans across the country back to work. These investments and the support of states like Virginia will help create green jobs that will make us more competitive in the global marketplace, while protecting the environment and addressing climate change," she said.

There are currently 1.6 million unemployed construction workers, Zoi said, who can be retrained to focus on clean energy development. "We need to make this change quickly and robustly because the country deserves it," Zoi said.

There are lots of opportunities to invest in clean energy on the federal level, Connolly added. President Eisenhower, when he was in office, invested in the interstate highway system that had not yet been developed, Connolly said. If we can have similar insight today, the potential return on investments is enormous, he said.
Connolly highlighted an easy way to promote green energy on the federal level--replacing the U.S. Postal Service's vehicles. The Postal Service currently has 150,000 vehicles, which have an 18-year lifespan. These vehicles average eight to 10 miles per gallon, Connolly said. Replacing the vehicles is an easy way to boost cleaner energy, he said.

Connolly said that he hopes the summit in Copenhagen will add momentum to pass clean energy legislation in the U.S. Senate. The energy bill in the House, which he said was "terribly important legislation," passed by a two-vote margin.

"There is a lot of support across the [political] spectrum for clean energy," Zoi said. To garner more support, she advised to put in more windmills as a way to increase visibility. The visibility helps to demystify clean energy as "an environmentalist push," she said. Zoi encouraged the audience members to engage and have discussions with people about clean energies to continue to demystify the practices.

"This is not a Democrat issue or a Republican issue," Salazar added. "This is an American issue, a global issue." He pointed out that the first climate change legislation was written by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), making the bill bipartisan. The current efforts are being led by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Lieberman.

Warner added that clean energy is a national security issue because it is not safe for the country to be so dependent on foreign oil.

The event was held at Washington-Lee High School, a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified green building.

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