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Emanuel Touts Green Economy in Chicago
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| CHICAGO, IL—Today, U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel (IL-05) joined Chicago’s Mayor Daley, Chicago-area business leaders and manufacturers, and T. Boone Pickens at a town hall on Navy Pier. At the event, Emanuel highlighted his legislation aimed at building the refueling infrastructure for natural gas vehicles and focused on Chicago’s strengths in leading the nation to energy independence. “Instead of subsidizing a twentieth-century approach to energy, we must start investing in America’s energy future,” said Emanuel. On September 16, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 6899) to help increase domestic production, ensure a clean renewable energy future for generations, create new green-collar jobs, and help consumers struggling with high energy costs. Key provisions from U.S. Representatives Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Dan Boren’s (D-OK) New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act were included in the bill, including tax incentives to build the refueling infrastructure for natural gas vehicles. Currently, natural gas costs about 40% cheaper than the price of gasoline and produces approximately one-third less emissions. Additionally, 98% of the natural gas Americans currently consume is produced in North America, and recent estimates indicate that America has a 118 year supply of natural gas. Although H.R. 6899 was not passed by the Senate, Emanuel will continue to make natural gas vehicles a top priority in 2009. “Ideas aimed at reducing the cost of oil for regular Americans are a hat-trick for the American economy – it’s good for the environment, it reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and it creates jobs,” said Emanuel. “Natural gas vehicles will be part of the solution, and so will new technologies from green innovators in Chicago. Chicago’s manufacturing industry is leading the way towards a greener, more prosperous, future.” Today’s town hall included manufacturing innovators from the Chicago area. Their ideas, research and development capacity, and skilled workforce represent Chicago’s contribution to an oil-free economy. In attendance: • All Cell Technologies, which has perfected a compact, cost-effective way to “cool down” the lithium batteries that power everything from laptops to electric cars. This technology not only makes lithium batteries safer to use, but also doubles the life of the battery. • Broadwind Energy, which owns, supports and positions companies that manufacture, install and maintain components for wind-energy industries. It supplies GE – a leading supplier to the North American market – with gear sets for wind turbines. • Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies, Inc. specializes in sustainable transportation – ranging from light three-wheel vehicles to city buses to heavy-duty trucks. HEVT’s technology can convert a conventional pick-up truck getting 16 miles per gallon into a plug-in hybrid getting up 41 miles per gallon. • S&C Electric Company, a global provider of equipment that harnesses wind energy and transmits the power to the grid. S&C’s technology and expert engineering help move the power from the wind farm to the factory, the school and the home. • Sun Phocus makes a coating that converts window glass into electric power generators by harnessing and intensifying solar energy. This photovoltaic technology has unlimited potential for maximizing energy efficiency in the built environment. Today’s event was one in a series of Town Halls hosted by T. Boone Pickens to highlight his “Pickens Plan for Energy Independence.” Emanuel introduced Pickens and address the town hall to highlight Chicago’s strengths in leading the nation to energy independence. “I’ve only come to know Boone recently, and as a Democratic Congressman from Chicago, I tend to disagree with most oilmen from Texas,” said Emanuel. “But when it comes to finding ways to help Americans fuel their cars and protect our environment – we have some common ground.” |
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