Bringing Green Energy Jobs to Pennsylvania

“Thanks to Congressman Murphy’s leadership and foresight, Bucks County has become a green energy hub and a magnet for the jobs of the future.” [Jim Horan, Y-Carbon, CEO]

“I want to thank Congressman Murphy for his leadership in promoting clean, renewable energy – not only with his important vote last week, but with many other votes and action he has taken while in office to help secure a new energy future for Pennsylvania and the nation as a whole.” [Nathan Willcox, PennEnvironment]

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Supporting Local Green Energy Jobs with Federal Funding

Companies and Municipalities in Bucks County are receiving important funds to help create jobs.

• $2 million in Recovery Act tax credits will help Gamesa USA’s Fairless Hills facility expand their manufacturing facilities, hire more workers, and develop the next generation of cutting-edge wind turbine generators, meeting the need for clean energy products with parts and equipment made in the U.S.A.
  
  
• $40 million in Recovery Act tax credits will allow AE Polysilicon, a manufacturer of solar components, to create more jobs and expand production of U.S.-made solar components.
  
  
• $1.2 million in Recovery Act funding for green energy initiatives in Bucks County. Richland Township, Lower Makefield, Warwick, and St. Mary Medical Center received $1,211,011 in federal grants to go toward green energy projects that will create jobs and lower energy costs for Bucks businesses and families.
  
  
• $200 million Recovery Act grant to PECO for Smart Energy Grid technology deployment. This will create jobs through long-term investments in critical infrastructure, providing customer benefits and savings in terms of reliability, energy efficiency, emissions reductions, and economic development.
  
  
• $2.4 million for local company Power+Energy to develop advanced hydrogen fuel cells for the Navy. The cutting-edge technology developed by P+E will help cut down on fuel consumption, reduce greenhouse gases, and lessen our dependence on foreign oil, while creating jobs and rebuilding the local economy.
  
  
• $1 million in Recovery Act funds to increase energy efficiency at the Bridge Business Center in Bristol. These funds will allow installation of 7 micro turbines, electric and absorption chillers, and a cooling tower.
  
  
• $4.7 million in Recovery Act grants awarded to Bucks County and local municipalities will be used to fund projects that reduce energy use, improve energy efficiency, and create jobs.
  
  
• $4.4 million in Recovery Act funds for Weatherization Assistance Grants to weatherize over 580 homes in Bucks County, reducing energy bills for seniors and creating new green jobs.

Helping Bring Renewable Energy Business and Jobs to Bucks County

Recruiting Prospective Businesses for Bucks County

• Congressman Murphy continues to work to recruit green businesses to help revitalize our local economy.
  
  
• In December 2009, Congressman Murphy announced that $150,000 grant for Y-Carbon, Inc. made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With this funding, Y-Carbon will expand its manufacturing operations to Lower Bucks County, creating jobs and advancing their green energy business.
  
  
• $3 million in Recovery Act funding will bring a 5 MW solar field built by Scheuten Solar USA to Lower Bucks County. The field will be one of the largest in the country when complete, helping rebuild the local economy.
  
  
• The fifth largest solar panel field in the country stands in Morrisville, creating jobs and enough clean energy to power thousands of homes.

Created a Green Energy Jobs Working Group

• Congressman Murphy created a green energy jobs and economic development working group to foster growth in this important field.
  
  
• This group has brought together leaders in education, business, and government to talk about ways to invest in workforce development and education to support the emerging renewable energy hub in the region.

Training Workers for Good Paying Green Energy Jobs

Secured $800,000 to Create a Green Jobs Training Academy in Bucks County

• The Bridge Business Center, located in a Pennsylvania Keystone Innovation Zone, will serve as the site of the Green Jobs Academy, which will provide students with the training they need to fill new green collar jobs coming to Bucks County.
  
  
• This Academy is designed to meet the workforce training needs of Bucks County as it moves toward attracting companies in the green energy industry. Current partners include Dow, Lockheed Martin, AE Polysilicon, Gamesa, PECO, and Rhodia.

Voted to Provide Money for “Green Collar” Job Training Programs Nationwide

• Congressman Murphy voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided $600 million in green job training programs: $100 million to expand line worker training programs, and $500 million for green workforce training.
  
  
• Grants are awarded to programs that target veterans, the unemployed, and those workers who need updated training related to the energy industry.

Fighting for Green Jobs through Federal Legislation

Voted for Incentives for Renewable Energy in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

• This law invests over $60 billion in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the county. This investment will double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years, create over 900,000 jobs and putting us on the path to long term green energy growth.
  
  
• The long-term extension and modification of the renewable energy production tax credit is especially important to the companies at the KIPC, as failure to extend some of these provisions would have significant consequences for American workers. A recent study showed that allowing the renewable energy incentives to expire would lead to about 116,000 jobs being lost in the wind and solar industries alone.

Creating the Next Generation of American Workers

• One of the key findings of Congressman Murphy’s Green Jobs Working Group was a lack of updated training equipment and technology at the technical schools in our district, and not enough funding to replace outdated equipment or upgrade facilities.
  
  
• Congressman Murphy voted for the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, which passed the House in May of 2009, and authorizes nearly $7 billion in grants for the modernization, renovation, and repair of public school facilities.
  
  
• Congressman Murphy also introduced and passed an amendment to that legislation which ensures that these funds could be spent by schools, particularly technical schools, to purchase equipment that allows students to become proficient in emerging green energy careers.

Setting America on the Path to Energy Independence

Pushing for More Renewable Energy and More Green Jobs in Pennsylvania

• Congressman Murphy is a proud supporter of a Renewable Energy Standard (RES), requiring utilities to generate or buy 25 percent of their energy from clean, renewable energy by 2025. Sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and bioenergy will be used to create nearly 350,000 jobs.
  
  
• This national standard will spur innovation, create a cleaner environment, and put America on a path to be a world leader in clean energy technology. According to studies by the Renewable Energy Policy Project and the Union for Concerned Scientists, a renewable energy standard like this could yield millions of dollars in economic activity for Pennsylvania, and create thousands of new jobs.

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