Sanders sees jobs in green energy

Nicole Gaudiano
Burlington Free Press
Jun 18, 2009

WASHINGTON -- Moving from fossil fuels to sustainable and more efficient energy use is the "issue of the moment," Sen. Bernie Sanders said during a summit on green jobs held Wednesday by Senate Democrats.

The Vermont independent said "millions and millions" of good-paying jobs can be created as the country transforms its energy system.

"In our state, we can create many, many thousands of more jobs, making our homes, our plants, our offices, our schools more energy efficient," he said.

Green jobs could include anything from making and installing solar panels and wind turbines to making homes and offices more energy efficient.

Owners and presidents of renewable and clean energy businesses from around the country attended the summit, along with labor union representatives, environmental leaders, renewable energy trade association representatives and community college presidents.

Vermonters Jan Blittersdorf and Abby White attended, representing NRG Systems and Earth Turbines. NRG Systems manufactures wind measurement systems and Earth Turbines is an NRG Systems sister company that develops wind turbine products for community wind-power markets.

Sanders was chosen in February to chair a new Senate subcommittee on green jobs. He said in a June 3 interview that his first hearing possibly could happen within the month, but no date has been set.

"It takes a little while to get these things set up," he said then.

The first hearing will focus on the types of good-paying green jobs that could be created as the energy system transforms, he said. Sanders would like to hold one hearing in Washington, D.C., and another in Vermont.

"We have been working very hard in terms of bringing sustainable energy into the state, and I think it's important for us to discuss that in a comprehensive way and talk about the number of jobs that have been created," he said.

Contact Nicole Gaudiano at ngaudiano@gannett.com.