Thousands of jobs will be created in Oregon under a bill passed by the United States House of Representatives today, according to Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR). The House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), which is designed to bring this country into the 21st Century with increased access to renewable energy sources that will lower energy costs and create new family-wage jobs for Oregon families. After the vote, Congressman Schrader released the following statement on its passage:
Thousands of jobs will be created in Oregon under a bill passed by the United States House of Representatives today, according to Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR). The House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), which is designed to bring this country into the 21st Century with increased access to renewable energy sources that will lower energy costs and create new family-wage jobs for Oregon families. After the vote, Congressman Schrader released the following statement on its passage:
“Today’s vote is about creating jobs in our local communities while cutting fuel costs for Oregon families. I’ve worked hard on the forestry and agricultural provisions that are included in this bill. Far too often, rural America is not put on the same playing field as urban America. These recent additions demonstrate that agricultural and forestry interests are not an impediment to climate change but are instead a big part of our energy and environmental solution.”
“As a state, Oregon is dominated by federal lands,” said Gil Riddell, Policy Coordinator of the Oregon Association of Counties. “The survival of many of our rural communities depends greatly on active management for the health of those lands. We appreciate the efforts of Congressman Schrader - against stiff odds - to expand the kinds of biomass that will qualify under the renewable energy standard.”
According the Center for American Progress (CAP) the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA) is estimated to create 1.7 million jobs nationwide; including 20,931 family-wage jobs in Oregon.[1] These jobs will be in the following sectors: building retrofitting, mass transit/freight rail, smart grid, wind power, solar power, biofuels and biomass and many others. Oregon, for example, would receive an estimated $100 million per year for renewable energy investments.
With the formula of allocated resources under the ACESA, Oregon is a clear winner in terms of receiving funding and the envy of other states. Oregon already has a robust renewable energy program with strong investments in wind, solar, wave, woody biomass, waste-to-energy, geothermal, and other sources. These investments put Oregon in a strong position to compete on a national level with other states for jobs in the new energy economy. With unemployment rates soaring in many rural Oregon communities, these new energy jobs could be a huge benefit to rural Oregon. The following points are other estimated benefits for Oregon families from the ACESA.
• Low-income Oregon families would be protected from any direct or indirect price increases.[2]
• Oregon families are estimated to save $5.45 per month on their electricity bills thanks to the energy efficiency and consumer protection provisions of the ACESA.[3]
• By 2020 Oregon families are estimated to save $11.82 per month on fuel thanks to more energy efficient vehicles and sources of energy included in this bill.[4]
• Regardless of claims by opponents of the bill, Oregonians will not see a large increase in their bills. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2020, the average cost per day for the ACESA is 47 cents or about the same as a postage stamp.
Energy reform has received broad support from groups across the political spectrum including businesses, energy companies, labor organizations and many others groups.
Here’s a partial list of prominent companies who support energy legislation:
Caterpillar
Chrysler
Conoco Phillips
Duke Energy
Ford Motor Company
General Electric
General Motors
Shell
Here’s a prominent list of prominent agricultural groups who support the ACESA:
American Corn Growers Association
American Farmland Trust
Growth Energy
National Farmers Union
National Association of Wheat Growers
