By Debra DeHaney-Howard
February 2, 2009

Mayors Palmer, Nutter Testify at House Hearing on Green Jobs, Economic Stimulus

By Debra DeHaney-Howard

Conference Immediate Past President Trenton (NJ) Mayor Douglas H. Palmer and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter testified before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, urging Congress to pass legislation that would revive the economy and create green jobs.

The January 15 hearing, titled Green Jobs, Efficiency Opportunities in Economic Stimulus Package: Creating Jobs, Opportunities for All, focused on creating jobs and stimulating the economy through renewable energy and efficiency programs. In his opening statement, Committee Chairman Edward Markey (MA) said, "The economic stimulus is a green and bold stimulus package that will help our economy and protect our environment." Markey noted that the economic stimulus package being worked on by Congress and President Obama presents an opportunity for America to take a step forward by investing in renewable technology and infrastructure that will put people to work while transitioning our nation to a clean energy economy.

Testifying on behalf of the USCM, Palmer said, "Congress needs to fund the Energy Efficiency Block Grant so that cities can move forward on energy efficiency programs that will grow green jobs and a greener economy. Mayors see how the greening of our cities and nation can provide new pathways out of poverty for so many disadvantaged Americans. Green jobs show the public that climate protection is about growing the economy while greening America. Green collar jobs are jobs that can't be outsourced."

Palmer continued, "We are in the midst of a perfect economic storm and we simply don't have the resources to maintain services. New energy and climate programs that are in the near-term and long-term interest of the nation and are key to our country's future prosperity are simply out of reach, unless we have energy block grant resources to help us build on the momentum that we have begun."

Speaking to new energy technology, Palmer said, "Sustained investments in new energy technology leads to improvements in buildings, appliances and fixtures, and will require us to transition from a blue-collar environment to a ‘green collar' environment. You can't outsource putting solar panels on a roof."

In his testimony, Nutter told lawmakers that "…making Philadelphia the ‘greenest city in America' is a hallmark challenge of my administration." Nutter noted a number of Philadelphia projects that would be created from funds in President Obama's proposed economic stimulus package.

"The bill the Congress is considering would enable [Philadelphia] to weatherize more than 5,000 homes. A greatly expanded weatherization program could become part of a pipeline to retool Philadelphia's workforce to meet growing demand in the private market for home weatherization," Nutter told the Committee.

Speaking to the job training aspect, Nutter said, "For some of this work, training can be completed in as little as two weeks and most in less than six months, allowing unemployed or underemployed Philadelphians to transition rapidly into a sector with tremendous opportunity."

Joining Palmer and Nutter were Van Jones, Director, founding president of Green For All; Denise Bode, CEO, American Wind Energy Association; Trevor Houser, Visiting Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Partner Rhodium Group, LLC (RHG); and Dr. David Kreutzer, Senior Policy Analyst in Energy Economics and Climate Change at the Heritage Foundation.