Rescued by green jobs?
VP praises states’ renewable efforts; says green jobs will save middle class
(By Peter Marcus via Denver Daily)
Vice President Joe Biden yesterday in Denver praised the state for its renewable energy efforts and said green jobs will save the middle class.
Along with a panel of federal officials, the vice president held the fourth of his White House Task Force on the Middle Class meetings. The meeting yesterday was titled “Building a Strong Middle Class Through a Green Economy” and was held at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the second such time this year the vice president spoke at the museum.
In February, Biden joined President Barack Obama when the president signed the $787 billion federal economic stimulus package. Just as was the case in February, Biden again yesterday in Denver said Colorado was leading the movement to creating jobs in the renewable energy sector.
“It’s great to be talking ‘green’ in a city that has been at the forefront of the movement since before it was fashionable; a city that I think will be among the cities that lead this country in this new century; a city that displays a fervor and a passion for environmental awareness that rivals the fervor and passion you all feel for the Lakers,” joked Biden, referring to the Denver Nuggets’ current playoff match against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Money for job training
Federal officials yesterday announced $500 million from the recovery package for grants to prepare workers for careers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan made the announcement yesterday in Denver.
“It will create green jobs that will provide a spring board for many of the families that need to get to where they want to be,” said Biden at the town hall-like meeting.
Biden said there are as many as 450,000 jobs that can be created in the renewable energy sector.
Supporters say green jobs will be the answer for middle class families struggling through the recession. A Denver-based group, Veterans for Green Jobs, attended the meeting yesterday to voice their support for federal assistance in spurring the growth of the renewable energy sector.
Other local renewable energy leaders who attended the meeting yesterday included Blake Jones, president and founder of Boulder-based Namaste Solar Electric, and Roby Roberts, the government relations director with Denmark-based Vestas Wind. Vestas is currently investing more than $1.5 billion in new wind power factories across Colorado, which Roberts said will create around 2,500 jobs.
Biden praises Hickenlooper
Mayor John Hickenlooper also received several nods from Biden for his dedication to sustainable government policy, including the creation of Greenprint Denver.
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Denver, joined the panel yesterday, arguing that the future of America rests in its ability to create green jobs.
“It’s not just about the economy, it’s about our health care system, it’s about education and it’s about imagining what the future ought to be,” said Bennet.
Former Senate President Peter Groff, a Democrat from Denver who recently accepted a job with the Obama administration as the Director of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for the U.S. Department of Education, said yesterday at the meeting that community colleges will be an essential tool to training the workforce for green job readiness.
Jones and Roberts agreed that training is essential. Both said their companies hire employees based on how well trained they are in the solar and wind power fields, respectively.
Local environmental groups were quick to praise the vice president for his meeting and announcement in Denver yesterday.
“Vice President Joe Biden hit the nail on the head when he said that he and the Obama administration ‘get it’ when it comes to the nexus between building a clean energy economy and ensuring America is on the path to a strong economic recovery,” said Pam Kiley, legislative program director of Environment Colorado. “By leading an effort for a green economic recovery, we can create good jobs and a strong middle class America.”