Caucus urges House leadership to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has become a founding member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The Caucus is a group of 38 Members of Congress who are committed to passing legislation relating to   renewable energy, energy efficiency and the environment.  Pingree was selected to become a vice-chair of the caucus beginning next year.

Today Pingree released a letter signed by members of the Caucus urging House Leadership to include significant investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the upcoming Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will be considered later this week.  Recently the Center for American Progress and the University of Massachusetts released a report that found a $100 billion investment would create two million jobs nationwide over two years.  Looking specifically at Maine, the report predicted that 9,000 new jobs would be created over twenty four months.

“The investments we outlined would go a long way toward encouraging the development of clean energy in Maine and around the country,” Pingree said. “For example, our letter asks for $25 billion in research funding to develop and deploy innovative technologies.  I’ve seen a lot of exciting work being done at the University of Maine and elsewhere in the state—work that I know would benefit from this additional investment.”

The Caucus also called for another $25 billion for direct loans and loan guarantees to encourage investment in renewable energy development.  Pingree said the current credit crisis is making it difficult for promising renewable energy projects to get necessary funding.  “I don’t want to see an otherwise viable project get put on the shelf because the credit crisis has put the squeeze on investors.  Putting money into a temporary clean energy lending authority would provide the necessary capital to actually build these projects.”

The letter also asks Congressional Leadership to allocate $20 billion for energy efficiency programs for homeowners, business, institutions and communities.  “Maine has some of the oldest housing stock in the country,” Pingree said.  “And with long, cold winters and a heavy reliance on oil to heat our homes, investing in energy efficiency would pay big dividends. 

Pingree also said an investment in energy efficiency will create jobs right away.  “We’re talking about things like installing insulation and more energy efficient windows—and we’ve got thousands of people in Maine’s construction industry ready and willing to do those jobs.”

All together, the Caucus recommended over $140 billion in clean energy and energy efficiency spending be included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, now before Congress.

Chellie Pingree represents Maine’s First District in Congress.