When asked once why he was so good, legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky replied, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”
In the future, our world will be powered by clean sources of energy. The question is, will we urgently strive to become a leader in the largest industrial transformation of this century, or will we continue to fall behind and accept the economic consequences of delay? In Indiana and the rest of the United States, we must forge ahead or be permanently left behind. We must skate to where the puck is going to be.
A recent analysis from the University of California, University of Illinois and Yale University concludes that strong federal climate and energy policy would create up to 45,000 jobs in Indiana over the next 10 years and grow the state economy by up to $2.5 billion. These economic gains, they assert, are beyond any growth that Indiana would experience in the absence of such strong policy. The transition to new, job-creating energy industries powers much of this growth.
In fact, the report found that the stronger the legislation, the greater the economic reward here in Indiana.
Increasing public awareness and concern for the environment and desire for a clean, affordable solution to rising energy costs have driven our solar business to steady increases over the past two years, and we anticipate that these increases will continue. We are poised to add to our workforce of skilled solar installers soon. Energy legislation that provides incentives for clean-energy resources and caps carbon emissions will drive the innovation that is the key to making businesses like ours successful.
Over the last few years fossil fuel prices have fluctuated dramatically. In 2008, oil prices spiked to $140 a barrel, resulting in $4-a-gallon gasoline prices. Also in 2008, coal prices spiked, with the benchmark Central Appalachian coal hitting $175 per short ton. The economic downturn has caused those prices to come down, but they remain high and will likely climb again once the economy recovers.
Energy legislation that motivates the development of availability of clean-energy resources, as well as caps carbon emissions, will drive the demand that will support our continued growth and enable us to create hundreds of new jobs over the next three years.
Often overlooked, energy efficiency helps consumers reduce their energy use while maintaining their lifestyle and saving money. The money not wasted on energy essentially puts billions of dollars back into the largest driver of our economy – consumer spending. Put differently, money saved by not consuming energy is money that can be spent on goods and services in Indiana.
Beyond the economic risks of remaining dependent on fossil fuels, we must also consider the national security implications. Recently, a blue-ribbon panel of three- and four-star retired U.S. admirals and generals issued a report that found America’s current energy posture constitutes a serious and urgent threat to national security – militarily, diplomatically and economically. They insist that the converging risks of all fossil fuels – not just foreign oil – require moving to clean-energy sources. Beyond the concern that we ship billions of dollars to nations hostile to our interest, they warn, increasing demand for – and dwindling supplies of – fossil fuels will lead to greater instability around the world, including many of the places worst hit by climate change.
Strong energy and climate legislation will create jobs, break the cycle of oil dependence and repower America with clean, home-grown energy. We’re looking to our senators, Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh, for their strong support for a clean-energy economy. We urge them to work with Senate leaders to strengthen this critical legislation and put it on the president’s desk as soon as possible. Let’s get America running on clean energy.
