Clean energy creates jobs

October 2, 2012

The Virginian-Pilot reports, "Charging that Dominion Virginia Power has 'ripped off' ratepayers for $76 million, environmentalists are planning five days of protests in Richmond this week urging changes to state rules intended to encourage development of wind, solar and other green energy. The activists say the rules, known collectively as the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, or RPS, have done little to push utilities to invest more in cleaner energy supplies."

Progressive Point: Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Virginia should be leading the country in creating renewable energy jobs, not getting left behind. Instead of protecting Big Oil at the expense of taxpayers, let's invest in cleaner, safer sources of energy that won't ever run out and will put millions of Americans across the country and Virginians right here back to work.

Over the past five years, Big Oil raked in over half a trillion dollars in profits and laid off more than 10,000 Americans. Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today and creates three times as many jobs as fossil fuels. This should be obvious: the oil industry is no longer a new start-up that needs help getting off the ground. Big Oil is raking in billions in profits but still taking billions in taxpayer handouts, keeping our nation hooked on oil, and lobbying to kill off their clean energy competitors. It couldn't be any clearer: Big Oil is leaving us behind while clean energy is creating jobs.

Get the Facts:

• Offshore wind could create up to 10,000 jobs in Virginia according to a study cited by Delegate Joseph Morrissey and 13 fellow state legislators. (The Virginian-Pilot, May 8, 2012)


• "Clean energy is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. Developing new clean energy technologies like wind and solar could support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue." (Media Matters)


• Scaling Green reports:

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  • "A nearly unanimous 92% of voters feel it is very important (58%) or somewhat important (34%) for the United States to develop and use solar power," including 98% of Democrats, 95% of Independents, and 84% of Republicans.
  
  
  • 85% of voters have a favorable view of solar power, with 82% of voters also holding a favorable view of wind power. This support is nearly universal, "regardless of party or demographics."

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