Arkansas Business Leaders host Senator Pryor, U.S. Department of Energy to Promote Economic Growth through Energy Efficiency
Keynote speakers kick-off day of energy efficiency workshops in Fayetteville
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 6, 2010
Contact:
Eddy Moore
AR Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy
Phone: 501-772-5426
Fayetteville, Ark. – Mayor Lioneld Jordan welcomed Arkansas Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy, Senator Pryor and the U.S. Department of Energy to Fayetteville for a discussion on the role of energy efficiency in Arkansas’s emerging clean energy economy this morning. Business and government leaders gathered at the Fayetteville Public Library to discuss policy efforts that promote private sector investment in clean energy technology, such as coordination of utility programs, carbon regulation and public-private financing programs.
Among those job-building policies include promoting the installation of energy-efficient renovations in commercial and multi-family residential buildings.
“Buildings represent 40 percent of the energy used in the United States, and many have old equipment that waste energy and money,” Senator Pryor said. “Investing in energy efficiency retrofits for industrial, commercial, and multi-family buildings can drive economic recovery by saving small businesses money, spurring construction and manufacturing, and creating hundreds of thousands of good jobs across America.”
United States Department of Energy Senior Advisor, Gil Sperling joined the discussion as part of the Clean Energy Roadshow, a multi-city, multi-state national tour that brings together diverse groups of stakeholders to share best practices for creating a sustainable market demand for clean energy technologies.
Sperling explained how Arkansas’ economy stands to benefit tremendously from a private-state-federal partnership that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy.
“Clean energy jobs will be the jobs of the future, whether they are focused on improving energy efficiency of our homes or building wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles,” said Gil Sperling, Senior Advisor at the Department of Energy.
“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided the down payment for our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy. We need to leverage the combined resources of local and state governments and the private sector through partnerships like we’re building here today to get the best return on these investments.”
For example, a recent study published by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimated that energy efficiency standards alone could create up to 5,600 jobs in Arkansas.
A new study from the Consumer Federation of America found that strong energy efficiency standards could save Arkansan consumers $403 per household.
Arkansas’ private sector has no shortage of energy efficiency success stories.
Chris Callahan, President of Next Gen Illumination has promoted government policies for reducing energy demand for poultry producers in Arkansas and throughout the United States.
Next Gen Illumination’s lobbying efforts led to $1.6 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dedicated to energy efficiency lighting conversion for poultry growers throughout Arkansas.
In the past year, Viridian, a sustainability consulting firm specializing in advising on green building design, has moved into larger space and tripled its staff in response to its growing business.
“More and more people are beginning to understand that adopting sustainable practices just makes good financial sense. That’s why we’re here,” said Chris Ladner, co-founder of Viridian.
Viridian helped a 54,000 square-foot Harley-Davidson dealership be 30% more efficient than it otherwise would have been.
“Pairing a strong set of energy efficiency standards with a price on carbon delivers even greater savings,” added Eddy Moore, coordinator of Arkansas Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy.
The Universities of Illinois, California and Yale University found that the combined package could generate up to 25,000 additional jobs in Arkansas, increase Arkansas’ real Gross Domestic Product by $1.2 billion and real household income by $1,230 per year (as measured in 2008 dollars).
“The fastest route to a more prosperous secure economy in Arkansas and our country is to eliminate energy waste and move to a clean energy economy,” said Moore.
The Arkansas Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy is an informal network of businesses and business leaders, spanning a wide spectrum of industry and commerce. The network supports a transition to a low-carbon clean energy economy in Arkansas and nationally. Its goal is to empower the Arkansas business community to influence public policy that helps get us there.
For more information on the Arkansas Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy visit: http://www.arkcleaneconomy.biz/
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UPDATE – Press Clippings
Arkansas Business
Mark Pryor Touts Arkansas as Potential Green State
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Hurdles seen for energy program, Experts: Create call for savings
Arkansas Traveler
Business leaders discuss Ark. energy-efficient economy
Tags: bio fuels, Clean Energy, DOE, economy, Pryor, solar
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