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Senator Smucker participated in an announcement with Secretary of Labor & Industry Sandi Vito to announce an award of funding from the state's Industry Partnership Program to support training programs in Lancaster County. In Lancaster County, this funding supports the operation of the Centers of Excellence in Production Agriculture, Renewable Energy, Long-Term Care Practice, Manufacturing and Industrial Maintenance Training. Last year, Industry Partnerships in Lancaster County engaged nearly 430 employers and trained almost 3,000 workers. The announcement took place at Alcoa Mill Products in Manheim Township.

 

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Senator Smucker's remarks at the Industry Partnership Program funding announcement:

Senator Lloyd Smucker
Renewable Energy
December 14, 2009

Thank you, Scott.  It is great to be here to celebrate this exciting announcement.  Thank you, Secretary Vito, for coming here personally to make this announcement.

While there are vaccines for staving off swine flu, medical science has not come up with a shot to ward off the nasty effects of a severe recession.

So it is up to us to figure out steps to help bring about economic recovery.  In this vein, energy is a popular and promising pick.

There are abundant good policy reasons to push for expanding renewable energy.  Mandates in federal and state laws aim at driving up the percentage of power derived from alternative energy sources.  The bottom-line imperative of a bad economy has pushed new energy options as cost-savers.  You can be sure the world has changed when phrases such as "urban heat islands" start peppering our discussions.

At this point in the alternative energy game, several states are running ahead of the pack.  Pennsylvania is making a concerted effort to catch up.  Funding can be had through the federal stimulus package and through state-created programs.  Our goal is to encourage homegrown energy developers, to manufacture products here, to employ local workers, and to serve a market right at hand.

Green roofs, high performance buildings, wind, solar, geothermal, the technology is tested, available, and constantly improving.  It is a matter of developing the demand, a chicken-and-egg situation of sorts.  Customers want a selection of reliable products, and manufacturers want reliable demand.

The development of a market means the creation of jobs.  Obviously, green jobs run the gamut – manufacturing, distribution, and installation, involving engineers, technicians, and designers – and the skills training will be as varied as the needed positions.

Despite the recession and the credit squeeze, we are still realizing commercial, retail, and residential development in these parts.  Most projects advertise some form of environmental improvement.  To the extent that green technologies are incorporated, these projects can become more viable and more valuable.

There is a matter of practicality too.  As we have seen with the Chesapeake Bay, when the bill suddenly comes due for adverse environmental impacts, it can be a whopper.  So to the extent that we invest in conservation, efficiency, and clean energy measures now, we can avoid substantial costs down the trail, while juicing the economy in an hour of dire need.

Credit goes to the forward-looking initiative, research, and advocacy shown by individuals and organizations locally, several of whom are spotlighted here today.

This is a season when the colors green and gold are quite prominent.  So the fitting message is that green construction and green jobs can be golden for our hopes for an economic rebound, for a brighter job picture, and for a more productive community