On Tuesday April 6, The Clean Energy Works coalition and Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, a leader in climate legislation in Nevada and Washington, held a press conference at Green Builder Media’s show home, ReVISION House Vegas, to demonstrate a real-life example of an energy-efficient home that can help reduce energy demand, generate green jobs, and stimulate our economy.
The goal of the press conference was to encourage local and national leaders to implement more aggressive clean energy and climate change legislation. During the press conference, Berkley outlined Nevada’s potential to create more than 11,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in revenue from clean energy investments.
Other speakers included State Senator Bob Coffin, Brandon Kephart of Better Building Systems, United Steel Workers representative Erica Kent, and Lance Gonzales of the Laborers International Union of North America. Pete Dronkers, Environment Nevada, also presented an award to Rep. Berkley for her visionary environmental policies.
Congresswoman Berkley has been an inspiring leader on the issue of clean energy and climate legislation from her supportive vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act this past June to her fight to make the United States energy independent. With the U.S. Senate closing in on bringing comprehensive climate and energy legislation to the forefront, Clean Energy Works wants to send a strong message to locals that Nevada stands to not only become energy independent but also play a leading role in the transition to a clean energy economy—creating a new stable industry for the state.
According to a study by the Center for American Progress and Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Mass., clean-energy investments create 16.7 jobs for every $1 million in spending. Spending on fossil fuels, by contrast, generates 5.3 jobs per $1 million in spending. With this calculation Nevada would create over 11,000 jobs with $1.2 billion in investment revenue with an investment, like climate change and energy legislation, of $150 billion across the county.
See the ReVISION project in both our January and April issues.