On the recordSeptember 23, 2011
To conclude on this matter, I have enormous respect for my colleague on the other side; but to oppose a simple study to require that we look at the benefits of clean energy technology, I find that very troubling. That resistance, sadly, is going to impede American growth and competitiveness and is actually going to cost us jobs. There is no question that in the coal industry, in particular, we've kind of reached a plateau. In fact, in Kentucky, we've lost a lot of jobs relative to, say, 30 years ago; whereas, as my colleague from Massachusetts pointed out last night, in wind energy, just in the last 4 years, we're up to 80,000 jobs. It's a fast-growing, lucrative part of our economy. It's clean, and it actually concretely helps create jobs. That's a worthwhile thing to study if not to invest in, and I regret the fact that the manager on the other side finds even a study something to be resisted. I yield back the balance of my time.
