Clean Energy Corps Proposed

In an effort to address the environmental impact of home energy use and the job losses resulting from the flagging economy, a coalition of groups has proposed the creation of a Clean Energy Corps (CEC). The CEC would create at least 600,000 "green" jobs by retrofitting over 15 million buildings with energy efficiency technologies.

The CEC would be a national organization administered through an Energy Security Council, which would mirror the National Security Council in its organization. Working with a broad range of government and private organizations, the CEC would engage volunteers and communities by providing training and learning opportunities related to energy efficiency and climate change.

Energy audits of structures would identify what technologies-from appliances to lightbulbs to boilers-could be implemented to improve energy efficiency. A federal loan fund would be used to pay for the program, with energy savings used to pay back the loan.

Kentucky is taking the lead with a Kentucky Clean Energy Corps pilot program. This program will initially focus on 100 low-income homes in the state, and will work with utilities to use smart-metering technology to further improve energy efficiency. Using money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the program will grow to be state-wide and is expected to generate 3,300 jobs in its first year.

You can read more about this proposal on the Environmental News Service site here.

 

PERSONALLY SPEAKING
It will take the engagement of all Americans to effectively address our misuse of energy. By improving the efficiency of our buildings and educating people on how our energy use affects the environment, we can move forward into living more sustainably. ~Kevin

Kevin Maddaford is the Consumer Services Manager and Resource Development Associate at Renewable Choice Energy.