Congress Gets it Right: Recovery Deal to Spur Clean Energy Economy
WASHINGTON - Congress came to an agreement on the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” to turn around America’s economy and advance President Obama’s transition to a clean energy future.
- $50 billion for loan guarantees for liquid coal and nuclear energy has been removed from the bill
- $6 billion for clean and safe water, creating more than 200,000 jobs
- $4.5 billion for greening federal buildings
- State energy grants, issued through the Treasury Department, that will fund renewable energy projects that are eligible for the available tax credits
- Funding for the state energy program, which includes important utility reforms and building code conditions
- $2.5 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy Research and Development
- $5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, creating approximately 90,000 jobs
- A multi-year extension of the renewable production tax credit
- A more effective tax credit for home efficiency upgrades
- $6 billion in loan guarantees for renewables, transmission and leading edge biofuels
- $2 billion for advanced batteries
- $9.3 billion for intercity rail, including high-speed rail
- $27.5 billion for highways (this large pot of money is not exclusively for highways, and states and cities must use this flexibility to invest in fuel-efficient public transportation)
- $8.4 billion for transit
- $1.5 billion in competitive grants for transportation investments (which could be used for public transportation)
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