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Trenton Mayor Palmer Testifies Before Congress on Need for Clean Energy Jobs & Funding Support for EECBG Program, Critical to Stimulate Economy

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 July 2009, 14:44 CDT

WASHINGTON, July 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On behalf of the nation's mayors, former U.S. Conference of Mayors President Trenton Mayor Douglas Palmer testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and the Public Works Subcommittee on Green Jobs and New Economy, to stress the importance of receiving direct local funding for cities in order to meet the nation's climate reduction goals.

Mayor Palmer urged Congress to direct a share of allowances in the pending Climate Bill, to provide a sustained and predictable funding commitment to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program in order for local climate action to continue. Speaking on behalf of the nation's mayors, Palmer said, "Directing funds through the EECBG program to locally developed, community-based energy and climate strategies is a top priority for the Conference as this Committee develops its comprehensive energy and climate legislation. As such, the mayors strongly urge your support for provisions to accomplish this."

Palmer also mentioned that this year, mayors will reach a significant milestone in their commitment to local climate protection action, as they welcome the 1000th mayoral signatory to the Mayors Climate Protection agreement. "Today, more than 84 million people, a quarter of our population, resides in cities where a mayor has pledged action to curb their city's greenhouse gas emissions," added Palmer. Conference President Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is the founder of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. (http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/agreement.htm)

On the topic of metro economies and green jobs, Mayor Palmer noted that the nation's cities and their metro areas are the engines of our national economy. In a report previously issued by the Conference and Global Insight, findings demonstrate that 94 percent of all U.S. economic growth over the next 20 years will occur in our nation's 363 metro areas. "These areas are where future energy demand will occur and where the battle to curb the growth in greenhouse gases will take place," Palmer added.

In closing comments, Palmer stated, "simply put, we believe that the EECBG program is one of the most important policy commitments you can make to stimulate the creation of green jobs, investing directly in the places where most of the nation's unemployed workers reside and where our future prosperity will be shaped."

To view Mayor Palmer's full testimony before Congress, please visit: http://usmayors.org.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors

Source: PR Newswire

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