News From USW: Rendell Joins Steelworkers, Sierra Club in Calling for National Energy Initiative

Business Wire, Nov 3, 2006

PHILADELPHIA -- News From USW: Gov. Ed Rendell joined United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo W. Gerard and Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope today in calling for a bold new national initiative to develop renewable sources of energy.

Such a national program could benefit an estimated 2,188 manufacturing firms in Pennsylvania and create 42,668 new jobs producing renewable components, according to a new Renewable Energy Policy Report recently released by the Apollo Alliance.

Rendell has made Pennsylvania a leader in the development of renewable sources of energy, creating new jobs, fighting global warming and helping to end our dangerous dependence on oil.

Under Rendell, Pennsylvania is the largest state purchaser of green energy in the country. He championed state legislation requiring electric generators and distributors to provide alternative energy to retail customers, and he attracted one of the world's largest wind power producers, Gamesa Corp. of Spain, to Pennsylvania, where it has set up a manufacturing facility and a U.S. headquarters.

Pennsylvania could further benefit from a national renewable energy program that would create demand for billions of dollars worth of manufactured components used in producing alternative energy including wind, solar, geothermal and biomass technologies.

Such demand could create new markets for domestic firms in Pennsylvania and other industrial states where equipment similar to the components required for renewable power generation are already manufactured.

"Right now we have a historic opportunity to forge a new direction," said Gerard. "Investments in environmentally friendly alternative energy programs at the state level, supported by federal initiatives, can create a new surge of quality job growth while significantly reducing our dependence on foreign oil."

The United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club are working together to battle for energy independence and to highlight common issues including global warming and the loss of manufacturing jobs to countries with lower environmental and labor standards.

"Business as usual is no longer an option. We don't have the luxury of waiting any longer to fight global warming; it's time to dump the dirty technologies of yesterday and embrace the clean energy solutions that will fuel the economy of tomorrow," said Pope. "We have the technology and the know-how to create affordable energy solutions. It's time for our leaders to show the political will."

Pennsylvania is well positioned to benefit from a national program because of its existing strong manufacturing base, the report shows. In all, the state has 2,188 firms active in the industrial sectors that could supply the necessary component parts.

If that nation were to develop capacity for 185,000 megawatts of renewable energy, the report estimates that could generate $160.5 billion worth of manufacturing investment and more than 850,600 jobs.

Pennsylvania's share of that investment could benefit 2,188 firms, and create 42,668 jobs including 19,588 in wind power, 15,767 in solar power, 3,402 in geothermal power and 3,911 in biomass technologies involving, wood garbage or agricultural wastes, the report said.

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10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
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