Column by Joe Gallenstein

Last week, in President Obama’s address to Congress, the president asked Congress to send him an energy bill that would help tackle climate change. The president also included in his stimulus package money to help build a green economy, or an economy where we will not have a false dichotomy between jobs and protecting our environment. Now is the time to move forward, and Kentucky can help lead the way.

Fortunately, our governor realizes this as well and Thursday announced Kentucky’s Clean Energy Corp, where volunteers will help weatherize 150 homes in lower-income communities to control energy costs. Primarily starting here in Lexington, the program hopes to expand across the state, and may help position Kentucky for some of the money in the stimulus package targeted at creating green-collar jobs.

This program, if a success, will provide money for not just jobs, but also help to lower the energy costs and output in lower-income homes. This will give the hand up people need to save a little bit of extra money while protecting what makes our state so beautiful and unique. It will not be a panacea that will cure all of Kentucky’s ills, but it will help tackle the problem our state faces with pollution, as well as provide a boost to our state’s economy.

Even more important than this great step our governor is taking would be realizing the growth that has occurred in the green energy market. Today, there are more people working in wind energy than in mining coal, as Congressman John Yarmuth pointed out at Kentucky’s now-annual ‘I Love Mountain Day.’ According to a 2007 U.S. Department of Energy report, there are roughly 81,000 people employed in coal mining, and

the wind industry now employs over 85,000 people.

This growth has even reached the coal fields of Eastern Kentucky, as the Associated Press noted as early as Jan. 29, 2007. I have even met with some people from the area who spoke about the wind turbines in Hazard, a place noted for the prevalence of coal. This growth of a green economy in Kentucky proves this transition is taking place everywhere and as it begins to grow into its own in the heart of coal country, I hope our leaders will see that Kentucky can have a future that is sustainable for our people and our land.

I hope our legislature, especially those members of state Senate leadership who have a habit of just saying ‘no’ to anything that is not their idea, sees the potential of Kentucky’s Clean Energy Corp. or the growth of renewable energy in Eastern Kentucky. They can help Gov. Beshear answer this call by deciding to invest, for once, in a sector of our economy that is growing. Investing in new energy and in these programs that will increase Kentucky’s energy efficiency will create jobs for Kentuckians and save Kentucky money.

It is inspiring to see Obama leading the way for investment in a green-collar economy, and to see leaders like Beshear and Finance Secretary Jonathan Miller prepare Kentucky to be shovel ready to heed his call. I hope the likes of Mitch McConnell, David Williams, Jim Bunning, Hal Rogers or Geoff Davis realize these efforts are good for the planet, the country and our Commonwealth. It would be even better if these individuals finally let go of the dogma of the Bush and Fletcher years that resulted in deregulation and unbridled pollution and follow the clear vision our president and governor are providing for, not just recovery, but also sustainability.